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TRACE

retired
Science ExplorationLEOCOSPAR 1998-020ALaunched 4/2/1998
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
TRACE Mission
Launch Vehicle
Pegasus XL
Launch Date
4/2/1998
Last Contact
6/21/2010
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
LEO
Altitude
619.5 km
Inclination
97.8 deg
Dry Mass
250 kg
Total Mass
250 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Science Exploration
Payload Category
AST
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Manufacturer
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Registry
COSPAR ID
1998-020A
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/344
Track
Mentions
52
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter has a wingspan of 17.5 m and a height of 3 m.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.2Mar 19, 2026ESA, NASA to address Artemis after shutdown of Mars Earth Return Orbiter; Iris2 milestone in April; Launcher Challenge adapts to Orbex exit
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ESA's Juice mission will dedicate extensive observation time to Ganymede's auroras to trace their variability and study the moon's space environment.

PlanGeneralValue 3.5Feb 26, 2026Ganymede aurora study links moon and Earth space weather

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) uses low-frequency radio waves to trace relativistic particles spiraling through magnetic fields.

GeneralCapabilityValue 2.0Feb 26, 2026Record LOFAR Radio Sky Map Charts Millions Of Growing Black Holes

The Otter spacecraft will capture trace atmospheric molecules to feed an electric thruster to overcome drag that traditionally limits the lifespan of low-altitude satellites.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Feb 24, 2026Global Defense Modernization Drives Major Awards for BlackSky and Redwire

Stellant Systems’ space roots trace back to the 1960s with the Hughes Microwave Tube Division and include expertise from L3Harris and other legacy companies.

GovernanceRelationshipsValue 2.0Feb 23, 2026Stellant Systems: Heritage-Driven Innovation in Space

The MTG-S sounder’s data product analyzes patterns in light waves as an interferometer to measure temperature, humidity, wind, and trace gases.

CapabilityValue 4.0Feb 6, 2026ESA reveals first images from the groundbreaking Meteosat Third Generation Sounder

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems measure distances and velocities with laser pulses and can also detect concentrations of trace gases and aerosols in the atmosphere.

GeneralValue 1.2Feb 3, 2026Neue Lasertechnologie zur Treibhausgasüberwachung aus dem All

The MTG Infrared Sounder retrieves vertical profiles of temperature, humidity, and trace gases throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere.

CapabilityValue 4.2Jan 30, 2026New European Infrared Sounder Maps Atmosphere In Three Dimensions

MTG sounder data are used to generate three-dimensional maps of the atmosphere from temperature, humidity, wind, and trace-gas measurements to improve weather forecast accuracy and nowcasting.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Jan 27, 2026Erste Infrarotbilder des Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder

Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University developed a lightweight machine learning framework that enables satellites to quantify uncertainty in trace gas retrievals in real time.

CapabilityValue 4.2Jan 26, 2026Efficient Probabilistic Framework Accelerates Satellite Trace Gas Retrieval and Uncertainty Quantification

Many component parts of MDA Space can trace their origins back to the CTS program.

GeneralValue 2.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

CaSSIS images, operating since 2018, helped trace subtle landforms and establish relative elevations along the inferred shoreline.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Jan 13, 2026Ancient deltas reveal vast Martian ocean across northern hemisphere

With MAVEN currently offline, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Odyssey, and ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter are carrying a larger share of relay duties.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.2Dec 15, 2025Maven stays silent after routine pass behind Mars

The Mars Relay Network has redundancy through other orbiters like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the European Space Agency's Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).

CapabilityValue 3.5Dec 9, 2025NASA Loses Contact with MAVEN Mars Orbiter

MOMA-MS can detect trace organic materials in the drilled samples collected by Rosalind Franklin.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Nov 28, 2025欧州の火星探査計画「エクソマーズ」、NASAが支援継続を再確約

The roots of the EU Space Programme trace back to the late 1990s with the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative, later known as Copernicus.

GeneralValue 2.0Oct 26, 2025Programma Spaziale UE: l’Europa verso l’autonomia orbitale

Copernicus Sentinel-5A will orbit the Earth every 100 minutes to provide daily data on atmospheric pollutants and other trace gases globally.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Oct 19, 2025Copernicus raggiunge nuove vette con il lancio di Sentinel-5A

The IMAP mission will trace the boundaries of the heliosphere, a bubble inflated by solar wind that protects the solar system from galactic cosmic rays.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.0Oct 5, 2025Sonde spaziali NASA lanciate per studiare il Sole e proteggere la Terra

Sentinel-5 will orbit the Earth every 100 minutes and provide daily global data on atmospheric pollutants and trace gases.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Jul 14, 2025Erster Wettersatellit der zweiten MetOp-Generation gestartet

Sentinel-4 will continuously measure air quality over Europe and provide hourly information on key trace gases and pollutants including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and glyoxal.

CapabilityValue 5.0Jul 3, 2025Neue Wettersatelliten-Generation für bessere Unwettervorhersagen