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 topicThis video provides an in-depth look at ESA's GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite to be launched in 2006. GOCE will measure Earth's gravity field with unprecedented accuracy. Over its life of about 20 months, GOCE will map variations in the gravity field with extreme detail and accuracy. This will result in a unique model of the 'geoid', which is the surface of equal gravitational potential defined by the gravity field. A geoid model is crucial for deriving accurate measurements of ocean circulation and sea-level change, both of which are affected by climate change. GOCE-derived data are also needed to understand more about processes occurring in Earth's interior and for use in practical applications such as surveying and levelling. GOCE’s main instrument is the Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer. The video includes new 3-D graphics of GOCE, location recordings of the Structural Model of the satellite during testing at ESTEC, in June 2004, and soundbites by Danilo Muzi, GOCE Project manager, and Mark Drinkwater, GOCE Project Scientist.