Data Systems

CHAMP and GRACE Science Data Systems
Satellite systems consist of a space segment and a ground segment. The lifetime of the space segment, the satellite, is limited for low Earth orbiting satellites. The ground segment components, such as data reception stations, tracking stations, processing and calibration facilities are of longer use.
Obligations of GFZ Potsdam with regard to the CHAMP satellite mission include the near real-time pre-processing of all readings of the instruments on board as well as the GPS ground net data. These continuous records of orbit/gravity, magnetic field and atmosphere related data are then immediately made available, both internally and externally as products via CHAMP-ISDC (Information System and Data Centre.). With regard to the GRACE mission, GFZ operates the mission's data pre-processing system as a backup to JPL, provides operationally atmosphere/ocean gravity time series for the GRACE data reduction and delivers GRACE orbit predictions to the laser stations.