 | |
| Operator |  European Space Agency |
|---|---|
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2032 (planned) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | geocentric |
| Altitude | 400 km |
| Inclination | Between 65° and 75° |
The Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) is a proposed Earth observation satellite mission under development by the European Space Agency's FutureEO programme. [1] [2] If approved, it will launch in 2032 as a pair of satellites flying in the same low Earth orbit in an in-line formation, separated by approximately 100 km. [3] The satellites will precisely map Earth's gravity field by monitoring short-period changes in the distance between them using laser interferometry. [4]
NGGM will form part of the MAss Change and Geosciences International Constellation (MAGIC) together with NASA's GRACE-C pair of satellites. [5] [6] [7] The MAGIC satellite constellation is intended to extend the more than two decades long time series of monthly gravity field models by the GRACE and GRACE-FO missions. [8] If implemented, NGGM will be the first Mission of Opportunity in the FutureEO programme. [9]
