This page contains interesting and/or useful information on flight operations and the orbit and attitude of the twin GRACE satellites.

GRACE Flight Operations are carried out by a multi-national team from US and Germany. The German Space Operations Center (GSOC) operates the satellites from its facilities in Oberpfaffenhofen (near Munich) in Germany. The Operations Mission Manager is from JPL, and team members come from JPL, Space Systems/Loral, UTCSR, Astrium and GSOC.

In general, the GRACE satellites collect science data continuously, for subsequent processing by the GRACE Science Data System.

Click here for a brief summary on the orbital configuration and past history.

Click here for regional ground track plots for any month of a year in mission.

Interesting events in the near-future include (updated August 02, 2007):

• The mission completed five years of planned, continuous operation in March 2007, and continues with its two-year extended mission. No special events are planned for the near future.

Interesting events in the previous year include (updated August 02, 2007):

• The satellite center-of-mass was trimmed and measured in June 2007
• Software uploads were carried out in Jan 2007 and March 2007. One purpose was to ensure a more robust safe mode in attitude control. Uploads to the IPU software were made to reduce potential data gaps, and to enable GPS ionospheric occultation measurement in addition to the previously enabled atmospheric occultation capability.
• A station-keeping maneuver was carried out in Jan 2007 as well.

Click here for more details on the swap maneuver carried out in December 2005.