Gravity satellite prepares for launch

A new satellite that will measure the Earth's global gravity field considerably more accurately than is currently achievable by other satellite and terrestrial means is being prepared for launch in Russia at the end of May.

Part of the European Space Agency's Living Planet Programme, the GOCE mission (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) will help UK researchers to locate gravity anomalies around the world and link them to the deep Earth processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic activity.

'GOCE will skim the edge of our atmosphere, orbiting at a low altitude where the satellite will be sensitive to the strongest possible gravity field signal. For the first time a gradiometer will be used in space so the measurements will be far more accurate,' said Prof Philip Moore from Newcastle University, who specialises in gravity research.

The gradiometer is based on six ultra-sensitive accelerometers and is able to achieve very accurate measurements. GOCE will gather the data at an altitude of around 270km above the Earth and will capture spatial scale measurements at around 100km. The best scale measurement that can be obtained from existing satellites is around 600km.