Airbus and NASA Forge Ahead in Climate Change Battle from Space

In a significant leap forward in the ongoing battle against climate change, Airbus has been selected by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to design and construct the GRACE-C twin spacecraft. This pivotal mission, stemming from a collaboration between NASA and the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), aims to continue the critical measurement of Earth's gravity field, a venture that began in 2002 with the original GRACE mission and was furthered by the GRACE Follow-On mission launched in 2018.

Spanning over two decades, the partnership between the USA and Germany has been instrumental in providing continuous data essential for understanding our planet's climate dynamics. The GRACE-C Mission (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment-Continuity) is set to perpetuate this series of measurements, focusing on the monthly shifts in Earth's groundwater, oceans, ice sheets, and landmasses by observing changes in the planet's gravity field over a nominal five-year mission lifetime.

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, expressed his enthusiasm about the mission's potential to advance our understanding of climate change. "It is remarkable that two satellites, positioned over 200 kilometers apart, can provide us insights into the rapid melting of our ice sheets without directly observing Earth," said Fauré, highlighting the importance of continuity in environmental monitoring and praising the successful track record of previous GRACE missions.

The GRACE-C satellites, flying in tandem at an orbit altitude of 500 km, are equipped to detect minuscule distance variations between them caused by fluctuations in Earth's gravity with unprecedented precision. This innovative technology will

allow for the mapping of Earth's gravity field with unmatched accuracy, offering insights into the global water balance, including variations in groundwater levels and ice sheet volumes, and their relationship with climate change.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the joint US-German Laser Ranging Interferometer (LRI), which proved its worth aboard the GRACE Follow-On mission, GRACE-C represents the zenith of satellite technology dedicated to environmental monitoring. The mission, supported by the Federal German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Ministry of Education and Research, alongside contributions from other German project partners, is a testament to international collaboration in the face of global challenges.

The design, construction, and delivery of the satellites to the launch site are responsibilities entrusted to Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen. Furthermore, the mission's operation will be managed by the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) of DLR, ensuring that the invaluable data collected will continue to inform and guide our understanding of Earth's changing climate.

As the planet faces unprecedented environmental changes, the GRACE-C mission stands as a beacon of hope and a symbol of human ingenuity's potential to understand and possibly mitigate the impacts of climate change. Through the continued observation and analysis of Earth's gravity field, scientists and researchers worldwide will gain essential insights into the delicate balance of our planet's water resources and the overarching influence of climate change on Earth's natural systems.