Past Missions
The UT Center for Space Research is a leader and innovator in mission planning, design, and execution of spacecraft, aircraft, and ground-based campaigns. CSR expertise has led, supported and enhanced many missions that have improved our knowledge of complex processes ranging from how the Earth’s system operates to exploring questions regarding fundamental physics.
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)
The twin-spacecraft Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission measures changes in the Earth’s gravity with unprecedented accuracy, providing crucial information about the distribution and transport of mass within the Earth system’s surface and deep ocean currents, surface and ground water storage, ice sheets and glaciers, and other hydrological and terrestrial features.
Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat)
The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) mission stands as a pioneering endeavor in Earth observation, meticulously studying the intricate dynamics of our planet’s polar ice sheets, clouds, and land surfaces with unprecedented accuracy and precision for its time.