Earth's gravity from space

GRACE on orbit

GRACE being readied for launch - 2

GRACE logo

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

This image shows the mean annual amplitude of total water storage on Earth in 2007 as measured by GRACE.

GRACE on orbit - 1

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.

Between 2002 and 2020, Antarctica shed approximately 150 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.4 millimeters per year.

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

The original GRACE satellites in a clean room in Germany.

Measuring Earth's Gravity from Space exhibit

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

Research based on GRACE observations indicates that between 2002 and 2021, Greenland shed approximately 280 gigatons of ice per year.

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

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....

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

GRACE mission pre-launch poster

Twin GRACE spacecraft being deployed from Breeze

GRACE being readied for launch - 1

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...

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

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

This animation illustrates the movements of the two GRACE-FO satellites as they orbit Earth.

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

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.