Surface and core of the Earth in its sights - 0 views

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  #1 Sandra Flores on 05 Jan 15

   

  Surface and core of the Earth in its sights
  
  On September 10, the Russian Plesetsk cosmodrome to be brought from the ESA GOCE satellite into orbit to determine the gravitational field and the reference shape of our planet, called the geoid with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. GOCE is one of many missions that ESA has planned in the coming years to the
  
  The GOCE satellite at the launch preparations in Plesetsk. Photo: ESA
  
  The European Space Agency to launch the most sophisticated mission to investigate the gravitational field of the earth and to map the reference shape of our planet - the geoid - with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. A Russian Rockot carrier rocket will carry the satellite to determine the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) on Wednesday, September 10 at 16.21 BST clock, some 800 kilometers north of Moscow from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in a quasi-synchronous orbit. The carrier is operated by Eurockot Launch Services, a joint venture between EADS Astrium and the Russian Khrunichev Space Center.
  
  The ESA satellite, which brings a ton on the scale, leads six-art precision accelerometers to measure the components of the gravity field with along all three axes. The collected data is a map of the geoid, the reference surface of the earth, and deliver anomalies of the gravity field in high resolution. Such a map will not only greatly improve our knowledge and our understanding of the internal structure of the earth, but also as a much better reference for ocean and climate studies, including sea-level changes, which serve ocean currents and studies of the dynamics of the ice caps. It is expected that a large number of applications in climatology, oceanography and geophysics, and geodetic and positioning activities.
      
  
  To enable this mission, their partners (45 European companies led by Thales Alenia Space) and the scientists, ESA, the industry overcome a formidable technical challenge by designing a satellite that circling so close to the earth that he can collect high quality data of the gravity field, at the same time, however, is also able to filter out the interference caused by the residual atmosphere in its orbit in only 260 kilometers altitude.
  
  The result is a sleek, arrowhead-shaped aerodynamic design of five meters in length, equipped with low power ion thrusters to the atmospheric drag can be compensated. GOCE is the first Core Mission of the Earth Explorer program, ESA has initiated in 1999 to the study of the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and interior, on their interactions and the impact of human activities on these natural processes to promote.
  
  With five starts in the next two years is a whole series of Earth Explorer missions. In two other high-profile missions core development is already underway
  

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Surface and core of the Earth in its sights<br /><br />On September 10, the Russian Plesetsk cosmodrome to be brought from the ESA GOCE satellite into orbit to determine the gravitational field and the reference shape of our planet, called the geoid with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. GOCE is one of many missions that ESA has planned in the coming years to the <br /><br />The GOCE satellite at the launch preparations in Plesetsk. Photo: ESA<br /><br />The European Space Agency to launch the most sophisticated mission to investigate the gravitational field of the earth and to map the reference shape of our planet - the geoid - with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. A Russian Rockot carrier rocket will carry the satellite to determine the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) on Wednesday, September 10 at 16.21 BST clock, some 800 kilometers north of Moscow from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in a quasi-synchronous orbit. The carrier is operated by Eurockot Launch Services, a joint venture between EADS Astrium and the Russian Khrunichev Space Center.<br /><br />The ESA satellite, which brings a ton on the scale, leads six-art precision accelerometers to measure the components of the gravity field with along all three axes. The collected data is a map of the geoid, the reference surface of the earth, and deliver anomalies of the gravity field in high resolution. Such a map will not only greatly improve our knowledge and our understanding of the internal structure of the earth, but also as a much better reference for ocean and climate studies, including sea-level changes, which serve ocean currents and studies of the dynamics of the ice caps. It is expected that a large number of applications in climatology, oceanography and geophysics, and geodetic and positioning activities.<br />    <br /><br />To enable this mission, their partners (45 European companies led by Thales Alenia Space) and the scientists, ESA, the industry overcome a formidable technical challenge by designing a satellite that circling so close to the earth that he can collect high quality data of the gravity field, at the same time, however, is also able to filter out the interference caused by the residual atmosphere in its orbit in only 260 kilometers altitude.<br /><br />The result is a sleek, arrowhead-shaped aerodynamic design of five meters in length, equipped with low power ion thrusters to the atmospheric drag can be compensated. GOCE is the first Core Mission of the Earth Explorer program, ESA has initiated in 1999 to the study of the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and interior, on their interactions and the impact of human activities on these natural processes to promote.<br /><br />With five starts in the next two years is a whole series of Earth Explorer missions. In two other high-profile missions core development is already underway<br /></div>

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