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.
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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
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Genesis will contribute to a highly improved International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) of Earth with an accuracy of 1 mm and a long-term stability of 0.1 mm/year, providing a coordinate system for the most rigorous navigation applications on our planet.
Genesis’ extreme accuracy will be achieved by co-locating the main geodetic (Earth-measuring) techniques: satellite navigation ranging, very-long-baseline interferometry, satellite laser ranging and possibly DORIS onboard one well-calibrated satellite that acts as a flying observatory, which will allow to determine biases inherent to each technique and correct them for superior precision. The instruments will be synchronized by an ultra-stable oscillator (USO).