Atmos.mov

The force of gravity not only keeps us from floating away, it also lets NASA study Earth’s water and ice from space. Using a pair of twin satellites named "GRACE," we can monitor our planet’s water.

GRACE mission pre-launch poster

Measuring Earth's Gravity from Space exhibit

For 15 years, the GRACE mission has unlocked mysteries of how water moves around our planet. It gave us the first view of underground aquifers from space, and shows how fast polar ice sheets and mo...

GRACE logo

Global ocean conveyor belt of warm and cold water is explained.

GPS signal occultation by the atmosphere, and the resulting useful data is explained.

Between 2002 and 2016, Antarctica shed approximately 125 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.35 millimeters per year.

This animation shows the annual water storage changes over the U.S. from GRACE from 2003 - 2013.

Accuracy of scaled GRACE terrestrial water storage estimates

NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has measured significant groundwater depletion around the world in recent years. These animations show trends in total water storage from Jan....

Zoom in to view GRACE flying over Greenland.

This animation illustrates the highs and lows of the Earth's gravity field as water in the basins of the U.S. changes over time.

Research based on GRACE observations indicates that between 2002 and 2016, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year.

The GRACE satellites during component integration in a German clean room.

One of the twin GRACE spacecraft is seen during construction in Germany.

GRACE satellites are mounted belly to belly at an IABG testing facility in Germany.

The GRACE satellites are seen at an IABG testing facility in Germany.

One of the GRACE satellites undergoes thermal testing at IABG in Germany.

One of the twin GRACE satellites, Flight Model 1, is seen on a trolley during construction in Germany.

The twin GRACE satellites are seen in a clean room in Germany in 2002.

The original GRACE satellites in a clean room in Germany.