Next Generation Gravity Mission
Proposed European Earth observation satellite mission
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The Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) is a proposed Earth observation satellite mission under development by the European Space Agency's FutureEO programme.[1][2] If approved, it will launch in 2032 as a pair of satellites flying in the same low Earth orbit in an in-line formation, separated by approximately 100 km.[3] The satellites will precisely map Earth's gravity field by monitoring short-period changes in the distance between them using laser interferometry.[4]
| |
| Operator |  European Space Agency |
|---|---|
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2032 (planned) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | geocentric |
| Altitude | 400 km |
| Inclination | Between 65° and 75° |
NGGM will form part of the MAss Change and Geosciences International Constellation (MAGIC) together with NASA's GRACE-C pair of satellites.[5][6][7] The MAGIC satellite constellation is intended to extend the more than two decades long time series of monthly gravity field models by the GRACE and GRACE-FO missions.[8] If implemented, NGGM will be the first Mission of Opportunity in the FutureEO programme.[9]
