Sensor · Spaceborne

SuperSTAR Accelerometer

Missions → GRACE (Ended) , GRACE-FO (Operational)

Data products → JPL GRACE and GRACE-FO Mascon RL06.3Mv04 (L3)

Electrostatic accelerometer class used on GRACE and GRACE-FO to observe non-gravitational spacecraft acceleration for gravity-field processing.

Sensor

SuperSTAR Accelerometer represents the electrostatic accelerometer class flown on GRACE and closely related accelerometers flown on GRACE-FO. These instruments measure non-gravitational acceleration on each spacecraft so atmospheric drag and solar radiation pressure can be removed from gravity solutions ^[1]^[2]. GRACE-FO uses three-axis electrostatic accelerometers developed by ONERA and similar to the SuperSTAR units flown on GRACE ^[2].

Operator pricing

Pricing not publicly listed by operator

Supply chain position

carried by GRACE

carried by GRACE-FO

feeds data product JPL GRACE and GRACE-FO Mascon RL06.3Mv04 (L3)

Methods this sensor implements

Demonstrated

Satellite gravimetryvia GRACE
Onboard electrostatic accelerometers support GRACE and GRACE-FO satellite gravimetry by observing non-gravitational acceleration for force correction.

Capable, undemonstrated

None on record.

Topics this relates to

Glacier and ice-sheet mass Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)well suited

Groundwater and terrestrial water storage Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)well suited

Space geodesy Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)well suited

Drought Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)adequate

Sea level and ocean dynamics Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)adequate

Inland water Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)marginal

Snow water equivalent Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)marginal

Soil moisture Satellite gravimetry(demonstrated)marginal

Sources

[1]Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, PO.DAACagency doc2026-06-08
[2]GRACE-FO spacecraft and instruments, NASA JPLagency doc2026-06-08

Cite https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/superstar-accelerometer Markdown twin → Field definitions → Suggest a correction →

How to cite this page

Plain text

SuperSTAR Accelerometer. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/superstar-accelerometer (CC BY 4.0)

BibTeX

@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:superstar-accelerometer,
  title = {SuperSTAR Accelerometer},
  author = {{EO-Atlas}},
  publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
  url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/superstar-accelerometer}
}