Washington, Mar 5 (ANI): The European Space Agency says that its GOCE satellite has reached its ambitious goal of mapping Earth's gravity with unprecedented accuracy.
In two short years, the sophisticated satellite has collected the measurements needed to record the 'geoid' reference shape of our planet.
"GOCE is one of ESA's most innovative missions. The number of 'firsts' it embodies led to many challenges for our scientists, engineers and more than 40 companies involved in building the satellite," said Volker Liebig, of ESA's Earth Observation Programmes.
The geoid is the shape of an imaginary global ocean dictated by gravity in the absence of tides and currents.
The planned mission of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite, launched in March 2009, included two six-month measurement periods. On 2 March it completed its 12th month of gravity-field mapping.
In the coming weeks, these data will be calibrated and processed for scientists to create a unique model of the geoid.
Although GOCE has completed its planned mission, the low solar activity during the last two years led to a lower fuel consumption than anticipated.
Based on this fuel saving, the good health of the satellite and the excellent quality of its data, ESA decided in November 2010 to extend the mission until the end of 2012.
"By nearly doubling the mission's lifetime, GOCE data will provide an even better gravity field map and geoid products," said GOCE Mission Manager Rune Floberghagen.
"Once the gravity models are completed, they will be made available to all users, free of charge in line with ESA's data policy," he added. (ANI)
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