GRACE is a joint project between the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) and the Deutsches Zentrum f=FCr Luft- und
Raumfahrt (DLR).

"G.R.A.C.E." =3D  Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment.

Recent GRACE reports indicate Antarctic ice loss from 2002-2005 of 152 =

+/- 80 km^3 ANNUALLY over 3 years. This had a  ~=3D 1.2mm effect on =

sealevel rise.
[[[RM: As this is only 13% of the observed rise in the same period I =

wonder about the other sources and accuracy of the conclusions.]]]

Potsdam GRACE home page

        http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/grace/

_______________________________________

GRACE's twin
satellites launched in March 2002, are making detailed measurements of
Earth's gravity field which will lead to discoveries about gravity and
Earth's natural systems. These discoveries could have far-reaching
benefits to society and the world's population.

//

The primary objective of the GRACE mission is to provide with
unprecedented accuracy estimates of the global high-resolution models
of the Earth's gravity field for a period of up to five years. The
temporal sequence of gravity field estimates will yield the mean Earth
gravity field, as well as a time history of its variability. An
secondary science objective of the GRACE mission is to provide several
hundred globally distributed profiles each day of excess delay or
bending angle of the GPS measurements due to the ionosphere and
atmosphere using limb sounding. These can be converted to total
electron content and/or refractivity in the ionosphere and
troposphere, respectively.

GRACE will succeed the CHAMP mission in the area of Earth gravity
field measurements. The anticipated increase in accuracy will be
achieved by utilizing two satellites following each other on the same
orbital track. These satellites are interconnected by a K-band
microwave link to measure the exact separation distance and its rate
of change to an accuracy of better than 1 =B5m/s. To consider precise
attitude and non-gravitational forces both satellites will be equiped
with star cameras and accelerometers. The position and velocity of the
satellites will be measured using onboard GPS antennae.

//

______________

More sciencey stuff here with misc below

Many many references to GRACE ice loss findings

        http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/publications/press/

    One of - NASA
        http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2006/20060302218=
19.html


GRACE Gravity model and related 'Science stuff'
Gravity model of earth based on 363 days of GRACE observations

   http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/gravity/

    Gravity model report - 11 page PDF

            http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/gravity/ggm02/GGM02_JGeod_190_0=
480.pdf
            Grey area is where Alien probe is located :-)
            http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/gravity/ggm02/GGM02_Notes.pdf

    GRACE gravity and orbit products availability

        http://isdc.gfz-potsdam.de/grace/
        boring but fascinating

Mission design factors.
!!!

        http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/publications/presentations/AGU_S00_=
MisDes.pdf

_____________






NASA / UTexas GRACE Home page.
Interesting lack of any mention of Potsdam DLR on front page

        http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/
        http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/overview.html

Partners

        http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/partners.html

Get yer free newsletter here (from either JPL or, funny that, Potsdam)

        http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/newsletter/
            http://isdc.gfz-potsdam.de/grace/
            http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/grace/

Mission overview

    http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/overview.html



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