Earth's gravity from space

GRACE mission pre-launch poster

This visualization of a gravity model was created with data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and shows variations in Earth’s gravity field.

GRACE on orbit - 1

GRACE logo

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

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

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.

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 ou...

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

Measuring Earth's Gravity from Space exhibit

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.

Twin GRACE spacecraft being deployed from Breeze

The original GRACE satellites in a clean room in Germany.

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

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

GRACE being readied for launch - 2

GRACE being readied for launch - 1

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

GRACE on orbit

These images show the changes in gravity anomalies from GRACE over the Amazon Basin for each month of 2004. 

The GRACE Intermediate Field 48 (GIF48 from UT-CSR) field model is an improved mean gravity field that combines GRACE observations with terrestrial and ocean gravity information for the small-scale...

The amount of water stored in the Amazon basin varies from month to month, and can be monitored from space by looking at how it alters Earth's gravity field.

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

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....