On this day in space! Nov. 10, 2013: Europe's GOCE satellite, the 'Ferrari of space,' fell out of orbit after mapping Earth's gravity field
Artist's rendering of the "Ferrari of space," the European Space Agency's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), before it fell from space in 2013.
Key points
- The large size of GOCE — it weighed 2,425 pounds (1,100 kilograms) and was 17 feet (5.3 meters) long and 3.2 feet (1 m) wide — made its reentry stand out, particularly since at least 25% of the satellite was expected to reach the Earth's surface.
- GOCE, its name was short for Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer, launched in 2009 on a mission to map Earth's gravity like never before.
- (Image credit: European Space Agency) Why it mattered The GOCE satellite was a sleek spacecraft, with fins covered in solar panels that gave it a futuristic design.
10, 2013, Europe's GOCE satellite fell to Earth after four years in orbit mapping the planet's gravitational field.
In order to generate the best map ever of Earth's gravitational field, GOCE had to fly in an orbit so low — just 139 miles (224 kilometers) — it needed to counteract the drag from the gossamer thin atmosphere of Earth at that altitude.
Additional details
- "GOCE's sleek, elegant aerodynamic design — responsible for it being dubbed the 'Ferrari of space' — immediately set it apart from most other satellites,." ESA officials said in a description.
- Once it ran out of fuel, the 1-ton satellite could not maintain its position in space, leading to a fiery plunge to Earth.
- Check out our full On This Day In Space Story archive and watch our On This Day In Space videos on YouTube.
- It showed small variations in Earth's gravity, mapped the structure of Earth's crust and mantle, and tracked ocean currents.
- GOCE was powered by an xenon ion engine that allowed to maintain its low orbit for four years.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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