MICROMEGA: a CNES project in Phase 0

R. Biancale, G. Balmino
CNES/GRGS, 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31401Toulouse, France (e-mail: richard.biancale@cnes.fr)

Since 2002 the GRACE mission has demonstrated the capability of the satellite-to-satellite tracking technique (SST) used in low Earth orbit for observing mass variations at the Earth surface. Information gathered by this mission have had such an impact in different geophysical sciences that a follow-on mission should be seriously envisaged.

However a single tandem configuration in polar orbit like the GRACE one presents some lacunas for mapping the gravity field in a very homogeneous way.

That’s why the CNES/GRGS geodetic team has proposed under the name MICROMEGA new concepts of satellite configurations, like cartwheels or pendulum, which have been studied in simulation. This has led CNES to engage in a phase 0 study (pre-phase A) for which cooperation with other space agencies is desirable in view of future realization of such a mission.