Browsing: GRACE

GRACE, or the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, was a joint mission by NASA and the German Aerospace Center launched in March 2002. The mission involved two satellites flying in tandem around Earth to make detailed measurements of Earth’s gravity field. The primary goal of GRACE was to map variations in gravity over time and space, revealing changes in the distribution of Earth’s mass, including water masses, ice sheets, and oceans. By measuring the distance between the two satellites—which changed as they passed over features of varying gravitational strength—GRACE provided unprecedented insights into how Earth’s water is stored and moved. These data have been crucial for studies on groundwater depletion, sea level rise, and ice melt. The mission ended in October 2017, but its follow-up, GRACE-FO (Follow-On), launched in May 2018, continues its legacy by providing vital data for climate research and water resource management.