Space

Curtain falls on GOCE gravity probe mission

Curtain falls on GOCE gravity probe mission
Sunny side of GOCE, which has been dubbed the "Ferrari of space" (Image: ESA–AOES-Medialab)
Sunny side of GOCE, which has been dubbed the "Ferrari of space" (Image: ESA–AOES-Medialab)
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GOCE being assembled (Image: ESA - S. Corvaja)
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GOCE being assembled (Image: ESA - S. Corvaja)
Inside GOCE (Image: ESA - S. Corvaja)
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Inside GOCE (Image: ESA - S. Corvaja)
Activating the ion propulsion valves (Image: ESA)
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Activating the ion propulsion valves (Image: ESA)
Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
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Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA)
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Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA)
Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
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Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
Earthquake felt by GOCE (Image: ESA/IRAP/CNES/TU Delft/HTG/Planetary Visions)
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Earthquake felt by GOCE (Image: ESA/IRAP/CNES/TU Delft/HTG/Planetary Visions)
Global Moho from GOCE (Image: GEMMA project)
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Global Moho from GOCE (Image: GEMMA project)
Graphic representation of the GOCE mission (Image: ESA)
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Graphic representation of the GOCE mission (Image: ESA)
GOCE being mated to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE being mated to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
GOCE being mated to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE being mated to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
GOCE inside fairing (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE inside fairing (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
GOCE being lowered to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE being lowered to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
GOCE being packed into special container for shipping (Image: ESA - A. Le Floc'h)
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GOCE being packed into special container for shipping (Image: ESA - A. Le Floc'h)
GOCE data flow (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
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GOCE data flow (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
GOCE data products (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
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GOCE data products (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
GOCE first global gravity model (Inage: ESA – GOCE High Level Processing Facility)
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GOCE first global gravity model (Inage: ESA – GOCE High Level Processing Facility)
GOCE in orbit (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
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GOCE in orbit (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
Sunny side of GOCE, which has been dubbed the "Ferrari of space" (Image: ESA–AOES-Medialab)
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Sunny side of GOCE, which has been dubbed the "Ferrari of space" (Image: ESA–AOES-Medialab)
GOCE in the launch tower (Image: ESA - S. Corvaja)
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GOCE in the launch tower (Image: ESA - S. Corvaja)
GOCE liftoff (Image: ESA)
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GOCE liftoff (Image: ESA)
GOCE being mated to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE being mated to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
GOCE moves to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE moves to upper stage (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
GOCE over ice (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
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GOCE over ice (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
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Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
GOCE tracked by GPS satellites (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
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GOCE tracked by GPS satellites (Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
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Artist's impression of GOCE (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
Gradiometer instrument excluding harness (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
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Gradiometer instrument excluding harness (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
Gradiometer instrument including a radiator for thermal control (Image: AOES Medialab)
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Gradiometer instrument including a radiator for thermal control (Image: AOES Medialab)
Checking for gas leaks (Image: ESA)
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Checking for gas leaks (Image: ESA)
GOCE with fairing being installed (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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GOCE with fairing being installed (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
Lowering GOCE into the Large Solar Simulator (Image: ESA)
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Lowering GOCE into the Large Solar Simulator (Image: ESA)
Moho and lithosphere (Image: GeoExplore STSE GOCE+ study team)
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Moho and lithosphere (Image: GeoExplore STSE GOCE+ study team)
New GOCE geoid (Image: ESA/HPF/DLR)
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New GOCE geoid (Image: ESA/HPF/DLR)
Ocean circulation conveyor belt studied by GOCE (Image: AOES Medialab)
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Ocean circulation conveyor belt studied by GOCE (Image: AOES Medialab)
Sea slope as measured by GOCE (Image: GOCE+ HSU study team)
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Sea slope as measured by GOCE (Image: GOCE+ HSU study team)
Sea-surface currents, which afffect the geoid ((Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
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Sea-surface currents, which afffect the geoid ((Image: ESA - AOES Medialab)
Solar panel inspection (Image: ESA)
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Solar panel inspection (Image: ESA)
Solar panel inspection (Image: ESA)
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Solar panel inspection (Image: ESA)
Testing star tracking navigation system (ImageL ESA)
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Testing star tracking navigation system (ImageL ESA)
Transferring GOCE to the upper stage (Image: ESA)
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Transferring GOCE to the upper stage (Image: ESA)
View of GOCE's ion thrusters (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
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View of GOCE's ion thrusters (Image: ESA - Mohammed Shafiq)
Representation of the areas of science studied by GOCE (Image: ESA–AOES Medialab)
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Representation of the areas of science studied by GOCE (Image: ESA–AOES Medialab)
View gallery - 43 images

ESA announced on Monday that its Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) has ended its extended mission to map the Earth’s gravitational field. Orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 224 km (139 mi), the unmanned probe, known as the “Ferrari of space” because of its streamlined shape, has run out of fuel for the ion engine that kept it in orbit and is expected to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere within two weeks.

Launched in March 2009 from Russian’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, GOCE was developed by an industrial consortium of 45 companies in over 13 European countries. The octagonal 1,100-kg (2,425-lb) satellite was designed to always show the same side to the Sun to power its four body-mounted and two wing-mounted solar panels that are backed up by a lithium battery in the bow.

It was designed to measure the Earth’s gravitational field to within one millionth of a gravity, which required it to orbit at low altitude. Because of the absolute precision required, it is essentially a single instrument with no moving parts rather than a satellite carrying instrument packages.

New GOCE geoid (Image: ESA/HPF/DLR)
New GOCE geoid (Image: ESA/HPF/DLR)

GOCE was nicknamed the “Ferrari of space” because of its symmetrical, somewhat streamlined shape with winglets to reduce drag due to it orbiting so low that it is passing through wisps of the upper atmosphere. In the stern is an ion engine to keep it in orbit because a conventional rocket would cause too much vibration and would have had a much more limited life.

The heart of GOCE is the Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer (EGG) for the measurement of gravitational differences between a set of test masses inside the satellite by means of six 3-axis accelerometers mounted in a diamond configuration in an ultra-stable structure. This is the first time the measurement of gravity gradients in all directions in space has been attempted.

In addition to the EGG, GOCE also has a GPS tracking system to provide additional measurements of the satellite’s orbit by triangulating with 12 GPS satellites. If this wasn't precise enough, there’s also a Laser Retroreflector to allow the satellite’s position to be precisely measured by ground stations.

GOCE in orbit (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)
GOCE in orbit (Image: ESA/AOES Medialab)

GOCE has provided the most accurate and detailed 3D map yet of the Earth’s gravity field, with the data supplied by GOCE allowing scientists to learn a great deal about the structure of the Earth and its oceans. One major achievement was the creation of the “geoid,” which is the shape of an ideal global ocean as it would appear under only the influence of rotation and gravity and not tides and wind. It provides a zero point for Earth scientists to measure from and shows that, far from uniform, sea level is altered by the Earth’s uneven gravitational field and affects ocean circulation and local sea levels. GOCE was able to map the geoid to an accuracy of less than 2 cm (0.8 in).

Other scientific milestones for GOCE’s gravity measurements included mapping the dynamic topography and circulation patterns of the oceans, creating the first global high-resolution map of the Moho (the boundary between Earth’s crust and mantle), measuring the thickness and movements of the polar ice caps, and acting as the first seismometer in orbit when it detected changes in air density in the form of infrasound caused by the earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011.

GOCE completed its primary mission in April 2011, which is when mission planners expected the ion engine would be exhausted by. However, solar activity is mostly what causes the atmosphere to expand and cause orbital drag and this activity was lower than expected over the past decade. As a result, there was less drag and, consequently, enough fuel to extend the mission.

Earthquake felt by GOCE (Image: ESA/IRAP/CNES/TU Delft/HTG/Planetary Visions)
Earthquake felt by GOCE (Image: ESA/IRAP/CNES/TU Delft/HTG/Planetary Visions)

But by this year, it was clear that GOCE would soon run out of fuel, so in anticipation of the mission’s end, the satellite was brought down from an altitude of 255 km (158 mi) to 224 km (139 mi) to improve its resolution and accuracy.

“This innovative mission has been a challenge for the entire team involved: from building the first gradiometer for space to maintaining such a low orbit in constant free-fall, to lowering the orbit even further,” says Volker Liebig, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes. “The outcome is fantastic. We have obtained the most accurate gravity data ever available to scientists. This alone proves that GOCE was worth the effort – and new scientific results are emerging constantly.”

On October 21, ESA declared the GOCE mission at an end when the satellite ran out of xenon fuel for its ion engine. About 350 kg (771 lb) of xenon is left in the tank, but on that day, the fuel pressure dropped below 2.5 bar, which is the minimum pressure needed to feed the engine.

GOCE is expected to hit the atmosphere in about two weeks. During this time, the satellite will continue to send back data until the atmosphere causes the systems to stop working, after which, it will be shut down by mission control. It’s expected to break up in the atmosphere, though the exact time and location won’t be known until later. ESA’s Space Debris Office will monitor the re-entry and provide updated predictions.

The video below shows GOCE’s technology.

Source: ESA

GOCE's technology

View gallery - 43 images
7 comments
7 comments
piperTom
Amazing thing at the end of the piece: the mission planners sent 350 kg of xenon into orbit for the sole purpose of providing back pressure for the rest of the xenon. 350 kg! It sure seems like they could have found a less heavy mechanism for keeping the pressure high.
Martin Winlow
Seems a shame that all these satellites don't come equipped with a 'standard' refuelling port. Then, the likes of SpaceX could one day earn some extra cash putting up an 'orbital tanker' that could remotely rendezvous with any satellite that was running low and top it up... for a fee. Got to be cheaper than either putting another satellite up or risking it landing on someones head on re-entry... MW
Brian Templeton
Although the GOCE satellite had completed the mission that had been previously set for it, the article says that by flying the satellite closer to the earth, scientists were able to obtain further data about the earth's magnetic field, in other words, additional extremely valuable information, which was halted when for some reason, the satellite was unable to use the remaining 350kgs. of propellent to extend the mission. I would describe that as a partial mission failure, compared to what the satellite could have done, at little extra cost, if it could have carried on until the xenon propellent was truly exhausted.
Aaron Garrett
Martin, There are several problems with a refueling station. First Until we start producing fuel in space, refueling the refueler will cost quite a bit. I also think the act of flying the satellite over the the refueler and then back into it's proper orbit would probably use a lot more fuel then what would be used to maintain orbit. My last thought is that technology is advancing sooo fast that after five years most of the tech in the satellite would be antiquated. I wonder if there might be a way recycle the satellites. I'm sure they are full of rare earth elements, gold, titanium, and other goodies. Instead of a refueler maybe a satellite collector. I know there is tones of space garbage up there. Maybe a Collector ship could snag old satellites out of there orbit and start a trash pile. Then when we have the technology to mine and build in space we can recycle all that crap. I guess the problem would be keeping the big ball of garbage in orbit. Maybe the last bit of fuel from a satellite could be used to push the pile up. It's fun to think about!
Slowburn
GOCE required as close to vibration free operation as possible therefor pumps to move the xenon propellent were out of the question leaving only a pressured tank system. Once the pressure fell to below that required for the ion engine to operate there is nothing to be done. 350kgs sounds like a lot of weight but I'll be it's peanuts next to the weight of the tank.
Craig Jennings
1100(Total) - 350(Xe) - 350(Xe) = 400kg. I could do with some peanuts.
Man, what a fantastic mission/craft/result!!!! Hats off to all involved :)
Ranscapture
Put xenon in bag inside container. Container has compressed air that would be over 2.5 bar even with empty bag. attach bag to engine. Waste only a couple grams of xenon instead of 350kg...