Preparing for GRACE-FO: Level-1A and Level-1B data handling and processing in the framework of the project MAGIC

The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has enabled the study of the Earth’s timevariable gravity field with unprecedented accuracy. Its successor, the GRACE-FO mission, is scheduled for launch in spring 2018. GRACE-FO is a quasi-replica of GRACE, and pursues the primary objectives of GRACE. For this purpose, evolved versions of the GRACE instruments (KBR, GPS, ACC) will be used and the attitude determination will be based on three star camera (SCA) heads instead of two. Additionally, GRACE-FO will serve as a technology demonstrator, implementing the first Laser Ranging Interferometer (LRI) between two satellites in orbit.