Subject: [IGSMAIL-3787]: GRACE -- Successful Launch!
From: "Ruth E. Neilan" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked], [email-masked]
Cc: IGS Governing Board:;
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 10:20:55 -0800

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IGS Electronic Mail      18 Mar 10:20:48 PST 2002      Message Number 3787
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Author: Ruth Neilan, IGS Central Bureau

Dear colleagues,

Congratulations to the GRACE team for a beautiful launch of the two 
satellites yesterday!

The coming weeks will see the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment 
mission (GRACE) unfold as it begins to observe data for determining 
the Earth's gravity field. Each satellite carries a GPS Blackjack 
receiver, and a communications link between the two satellites will 
permit precise measurements of their relative positions.

The GRACE satellites were launched from Plesetsk, Russia, on March 17 
at 10 CET. The launch, originally schedule for Saturday 16 March, was 
delayed one day due to weather conditions at the launch site (high 
winds).  March 17, also observed in some places as St. Patrick's Day, 
will now be remembered not only for the luck it brings but for the 
birth of this exciting mission.

See:
       http://www.dlr.de

for more information and a video clip of the launch (in German) - 
the launch takes place at ~ 20 minutes into the clip.

To view the current orbit data and other mission information:
       http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/

For the IGS LEO Pilot Project, this will bring a wealth of data and 
add to the exploration of incorporating LEO GPS data into the IGS 
processes.

with very best regards to the GRACE team on behalf of the IGS!

Ruth Neilan