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 topicTo accurately measure the Earth's gravity field, the GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite is equipped with a core instrument called the Electrostatic Gradiometer, which consists of three pairs of identical ultra-sensitive accelerometers, mounted on three mutually orthogonal 'gradiometer arms'. However, an advance mission such as GOCE requires that the satellite and the system of control elements form one 'gravity-measuring device', which means that there is virtually no division between the satellite and the instruments.