Falcon 9 Block 5 | GRACE-C

GRACE-C

GRACE-C (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Continuity) is a successor to the original GRACE and GRACE-FO missions, providing month-to-month changes of Earth's gravity field to track water movement and surface mass changes across the planet, monitoring variations in ice sheets, glaciers, underground water storage, soil moisture, and sea levels. GRACE-C consists of two identical satellites flying around 200 km apart at an orbit altitude of 500 km with an inclination of 89 degrees. Each satellite will measure approximately 3 x 2 x 1 meters and weigh around 600 kg. This launch will also carry ride-sharing small satellites via Exolaunch.

Falcon 9 Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

Length

70 m

Diameter

3.65 m

Launch Mass

549 t

LEO Capacity

22,800 kg

GTO Capacity

8,300 kg

Maiden Flight

2018