Casual Astronomy, Spaceflight News and Lower California Weather

... Its arrow shape and fins help keep the satellite stable as it flies through the wisps of air still present at an altitude of 260km. .... To increase resolution, the satellite will fly in an unusually low orbit; an electric engine will make up drag losses to compensate for the residual drag losses. ....

.... Goce data will have many uses, probing hazardous volcanic regions and bringing new insight into ocean behaviour.

The latter, in particular, is a major driver for the mission.

By combining the gravity data with information about sea-surface height gathered by other spacecraft, scientists will be able to track the direction and speed of ocean currents.

"If we want to improve our climate models then we need to improve our knowledge of how the oceans move, and Goce will help us do that," mission scientist Dr Mark Drinkwater, from the European Space Agency (Esa), told BBC News. ....