A comprehensive team of European scientists proposed a next-generation gravity field mission “MOBILE” in response to the European Space Agency (ESA) call for a Core Mission in the frame of Earth Explorer 10 (EE10). MOBILE is based on the innovative observational concept of a high-low tracking formation with micrometer ranging accuracy, complemented by new instrument concepts. Since a high-low tracking mission primarily observes the radial component of gravity-induced orbit perturbations, the error structure is close to isotropic. This geometry significantly reduces artefacts of previous along-track ranging low-low formations (GRACE, GRACE-Follow-On) such as the typical striping patterns.

Further details can be found in the paper

Pail, R., Bamber, J., Biancale, R., Bingham, R., Braitenberg, C., Flechtner, F., Gruber, T., Güntner, A., Savenije, H., & More Authors (2019). Mass variation observing system by high low inter-satellite links (MOBILE) - A new concept for sustained observation of mass transport from space. Journal of Geodetic Science, 9(1), 48-58. https://doi.org/10.1515/jogs-2019-0006

Project Partners:

• R. Pail, Technical University of Munich, Institute of Astronomical and Physical Geodesy, Munich, Germany
• J. Bamber, University of Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences,Bristol, UK
• R. Biancale, Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), Toulouse, France
• R. Bingham, University of Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences,Bristol, UK
• C. Braitenberg, University of Trieste, Dptm. of Mathematics & EarthSciences, Trieste, Italy
• A. Eicker, HafenCity Univ. Hamburg, Geodesy and Adjustment Theory, Hamburg, Germany
• F. Flechtner, GFZ (Section 1.2), Potsdam, Germany
• T. Gruber, Technical University of Munich, Institute of Astronomical and Physical Geodesy, Munich, Germany
• A. Güntner: GFZ (Section 4.4), Potsdam, Germany
• G. Heinzel, AEI, Max Planck Inst. for Gravitational Physics, Hannover, Germany
• M. Horwath, Technische Universität Dresden, Inst. of Planetary Geodesy, Dresden, Germany
• L. Longuevergne, Université Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences, Rennes, France
• J. Müller, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Geodesy, Hannover, Germany
• I. Panet, Institut National de l’Information Géographique et Forestière, Paris, France
• H. Savenije, Technical University Delft, Water Resources Section, Delft, Netherlands
• S. Seneviratne, ETH Zürich, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, Zürich, Switzerland
• N. Sneeuw, Universität Stuttgart, Institute of Geodesy, Stuttgart, Germany
• T. van Dam, University of Luxembourg, FSTC, Luxembourg
• B. Wouters, Univ. Utrecht, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht, Netherlands

Project Duration:

• 01/2018-12/2018

Funding:

• ESA