JPL Awards Contract to Airbus for Collaborative Mission With German Space Agency

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena has awarded Airbus a contract for the design and construction of two spacecraft for the GRACE-C mission, a joint venture with the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

The mission, slated for a late 2028 launch from the USA, aims to continue the GRACE mission series legacy of measuring Earth’s gravity field and observing changes in the planet’s groundwater, oceans, ice sheets, and land.

The twin satellites of GRACE-C, each measuring approximately 3 x 2 x 1 meters and weighing around 600 kg, will orbit 200 km apart at an altitude of 500 km. They will precisely measure small distance changes between them due to gravity variations, enabling the exceptional accuracy of mapping Earth’s gravity field.

This data will provide valuable insights into the global water balance, impacts of climate change, and ocean currents.

GRACE-C is a rebuild of the GRACE Follow-On satellites with upgraded technology, including the U.S.-German Laser Ranging Interferometer (LRI) as the main ranging instrument. The mission is a NASA/DLR partnership, with German contributions funded by the Federal German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Airbus Defence and Space will design, build, and deliver the satellites, with operation handled by DLR’s German Space Operations Center (GSOC). Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, emphasized the mission’s role in providing crucial data for understanding climate change and the importance of continuity in environmental monitoring.