Skip Navigation
menu close modal
Gallery

GRACE-FO Launches, Wide Shot

The rocket carrying GRACE-FO blasts off from the launch pad.

The NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft launches onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, May 22, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. GRACE-FO is sharing its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement.

Credit

NASA/Bill Ingalls

ENLARGE

Related

This image shows the mean annual amplitude of total water storage on Earth in 2007 as measured by GRACE.
More
This image shows the mean annual amplitude of total water storage on Earth in 2007 as measured by GRACE.
Total Water Storage from GRACE, 2007
Illustration of GRACE-FO above Alaska.
More
Illustration of one spacecraft of GRACE-FO above Alaska, with clouds, ocean and land below.
Illustration of GRACE-FO Above Alaska
NASA scientists used GRACE data to identify regional trends of freshwater movement, and combined that information with data from other satellites, climate models and precipitation measurements to d...
More
The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE mission, used precise measurements of the motions of two spacecraft in Earth’s orbit to track the movement of water through the oceans, land, and atmosphere.
For 15 Years, GRACE Tracked Freshwater Movements Around the World
Many of today’s most pressing climate science challenges hinge on knowing how and where water is moving on Earth. GRACE-FO will continue the successful partnership between NASA and the German Resea...
More
Image of the spacecraft in orbit over Earth, with the black of space.
GRACE-FO Launch Press Kit
Flames from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching GRACE-FO into orbit.
More
A close-up of the flames from the rocket launching GRACE-FO.
Rocket Flames
Illustration of GRACE-FO in orbit (view 4)
More
Illustration of GRACE-FO in orbit
Illustration of GRACE-FO (View 4)
The Laser Ranging Interferometer instrument.
More
The Laser Ranging Interferometer instrument.
Laser Ranging Interferometer
GRACE-FO mission logo 
More
GRACE FO logo
GRACE-FO Logo
The GRACE-FO satellites, attached to turntable fixtures, at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (view 1).  
More
The GRACE-FO satellites, attached to turntable fixtures, at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
GRACE-FO Satellites, Attached to Turntable Fixtures
A long exposure of the  GRACE-FO launch from Vandenberg
More
The rocket's blaze is seen across the sky in this long exposure view with the ocean in the foreground.
GRACE-FO Launch, Long Exposure
Illustration of GRACE-FO above Antarctica.
More
Illustration of GRACE-FO above Antarctica.
GRACE-FO Above Antarctica
GRACE-FO arriving at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, from Germany. 
More
GRACE-FO arriving at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, from Germany.
GRACE-FO Arrives at Vandenberg
Illustration of GRACE-FO in orbit (view 5).
More
Illustration of GRACE-FO in orbit over Earth.
GRACE-FO in Orbit (View 5)
Gravity anomaly map using GRACE data.
More
Gravity anomaly map using GRACE data.
Gravity Anomaly Map Using GRACE Data
The two GRACE-FO satellites are seen from GFZ’s Satellite Laser Ranging Station in Potsdam, Germany, on May 23, 2018 at 22:16 UTC and 22:17 UTC, respectively.
More
The bright lights of the spacecraft are seen against the dark black of space.
GRACE-FO Satellites From Potsdam
A map of groundwater storage trends for Earth's 37 largest aquifers using GRACE data, showing depletion and replenishment in millimeters of water per year. 
More
A map of groundwater storage trends for Earth's 37 largest aquifers using GRACE data, showing depletion and replenishment in millimeters of water per year.
Map of Groundwater Storage Trends for Earth's 37 Largest Aquifers
GRACE-FO in a protective shipping container arriving at a new facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.  
More
GRACE-FO in a protective shipping container arriving at a new facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
GRACE-FO Arrives at Vandenberg
The GRACE-FO satellites were assembled by Airbus Defence and Space in Germany. The photo shows the satellites in the testing facility of IABG, an Airbus subcontractor, in Munich (view 1).
More
The GRACE-FO satellites were assembled by Airbus Defence and Space in Germany.
GRACE-FO Satellites During Testing
The GRACE-FO satellites, attached to turntable fixtures, at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. 
More
The GRACE-FO satellites, attached to turntable fixtures, at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (view 2).
GRACE-FO Satellites at Vandenberg
The rocket carrying GRACE-FO lifts off into a blue sky, with the Pacific Ocean beneath it.
More
The rocket carrying GRACE-FO lifts off into a blue sky, with the Pacific Ocean beneath it.
GRACE-FO Launch, Sky and Sea
Illustration of GRACE-FO separating from Falcon 9 rocket after launch.
More
Illustration of GRACE-FO separating from Falcon 9 rocket after launch.
GRACE-FO Separating from Rocket After Launch
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.
More
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.
Antarctic Ice Loss 2002-2016
This animation shows the annual water storage changes over the U.S. from GRACE from 2003 - 2013.
More
This animation shows the annual water storage changes over the U.S. from GRACE from 2003 - 2013.
Annual Water Storage Changes over the U.S. from GRACE
Illustration of GRACE-FO in orbit (view 3).
More
Illustration of GRACE-FO in orbit over Earth.
GRACE-FO in Orbit (View 3)
GRACE Rendering  
More
GRACE Rendering
GRACE Rendering

You Might Also Like

An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth’s total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since.
More
NASA Satellites Reveal Abrupt Drop in Global Freshwater Levels
NASA Satellites Reveal Abrupt Drop in Global Freshwater Levels
GRACE and GRACE-FO observations are now addressing the crucial need for sustainable groundwater management practices to ensure water resiliency amidst ongoing climate challenges in California.
More
Data in Action: GRACE and GRACE-FO are used by California's Department of Water Resources for Groundwater Management Information
Data in Action: GRACE and GRACE-FO are used by California's Department of Water Resources for Groundwater Management Information
The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity mission will extend a decades-long record of following shifting water masses using gravity measurements.
More
US, Germany Partnering on Mission to Track Earth's Water Movement
US, Germany Partnering on Mission to Track Earth's Water Movement
This immersive experience leverages satellite data to illustrate how climate change is impacting Earth’s water cycle.
More
Google's ‘A Passage of Water' Brings NASA's Water Data to Life
Google's ‘A Passage of Water' Brings NASA's Water Data to Life
Early data shows the greatest net gain of water over the winter in nearly 22 years, but the state’s groundwater levels still suffer from the effects of years of drought.
More
US-German Satellites Show California Water Gains After Record Winter
US-German Satellites Show California Water Gains After Record Winter
Scientists have predicted that droughts and floods will become more frequent and severe as our planet warms and climate changes, but detecting this on regional and continental scales has proven difficult. Now a new NASA-led study confirms that major droughts and pluvials – periods of excessive precipitation and water storage on land – have indeed been occurring more often.
More
Warming Makes Droughts, Extreme Wet Events More Frequent, Intense
Warming Makes Droughts, Extreme Wet Events More Frequent, Intense