GRACE-C – German-US-American environmental mission has been extended

New pair of satellites will detect the consequences of climate change by measuring mass changes

The Mediterranean region of Europe has experienced prolonged dry conditions, with certain areas in Spain, like Barcelona, facing alarming drops in groundwater levels, plummeting by up to three meters annually. Despite occasional flooding events, the overall groundwater situation across the continent has remained consistently low since the extreme drought of 2018. Over the past two decades, Germany alone has witnessed a loss of more than 15 billion metric tons of water. To accurately monitor groundwater levels and global water balance, scientists rely on space-based observations.

The GRACE-C mission underscores international collaboration in studying Earth's vital resources. The satellites, to be built by Airbus in Friedrichshafen, will utilize laser interferometry to measure minuscule distance variations between them as they orbit Earth. This technology, including crucial components provided by SpaceTech GmbH in Immenstaad, allows for precise monitoring of water movements on Earth's surface. GRACE-C's scientific operations will be overseen by organizations like the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) in Potsdam and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute; AEI) in Hanover. GRACE-C's significance in understanding Earth's water cycle is recognized by both NASA and the German Aerospace Center. The German-US collaboration ensures that the mission will be under the control of the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) at DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen after launch, further cementing the partnership's commitment to advancing our understanding of Earth's water resources.