The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicGOCE's core instrument is the Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer, which consists of three pairs of accelerometers mounted and maintained at a fixed distance of 50 centimetres apart. The image shows one pair of accelerometers mounted on the second carbon-carbon panel. The carbon-carbon structure of the panels is crucial for maintaining the stability required for measuring gravity.