April 2011

The geoid measured by the GOCE satellite (photo ESA)

The GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite was launched in an ESA mission about two years ago with the aim of taking measurements of the geoid with a precision never achieved before. With its gradiometer, an very sensitive gravity detection instrument, the GOCE has collected enough data to create the most accurate image of the Earth we’ve ever seen.