The CHAllenging Mini-Satellite Payload (CHAMP) is used for geophysical research and application. This mission is scheduled to last five years in order to provide a sufficiently long observation time to resolve long-term temporal variations primarily in the magnetic field, in the gravity field and within the atmosphere. CHAMP was launched on 15 July 2000.

Mission Instrumentation:

CHAMP has the following instrumentation onboard:

Dual-frequency GPS receiver
Three-axes accelerometer
Magnetometer instrument package
Digital ion drift meter
Retroreflector array

Mission Parameters:

CHAMP Parameters
Sponsor:	GFZ (Germany)
Expected Life:	5 years
Primary Applications:	geodesy
Primary SLR Application:	precision orbit determination and geodesy
COSPAR ID:	0003902
SIC Code:	8002
NORAD SSC Code:	26405
Launch Date:	July 15, 2000
NP Bin Size	5 seconds
RRA Diameter:	5 cm
RRA Shape:	rectangular
Reflectors:	4 corner cubes
Orbit:	circular, near polar
Inclination:	87.27 degrees
Eccentricity:	0.00396
Perigee:	474 km
Period:	94 minutes
Weight:	400 kg

Additional Information:

Web sites:

GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ)

Publications:

Grunwaldt, L., "SLR and the CHAMP Gravity Field Mission (Invited)", Presentation to 13th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Washington, DC, USA, October 7-11, 2002.
Grunwaldt, L., Neubert, R., and Lapushka, K., "First Results of Laser Ranging to the CHAMP Retroreflector", Presentation to 12th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Matera, Italy, November 13-17, 2000.
Han, S., Shum, C., Jekeli, C., Kuo, C., Braun, A., "Static and time-variable Earth gravity fields from CHAMP and GRACE", AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts A4, 2003.
Klokocnik, J., Reigber, Ch., Schwintzer, P., Wagner, C.A. and Kosteleck, J., "Evaluation of pre-CHAMP gravity models 'GRIM5-S1' and 'GRIM5-C1' with satellite crossover altimetry", Journal of Geodesy Vol. 76, Num. 4, pp. 189-198, 2002.
Konig, R., Reigber, C., Neumayer, K. H., Schmidt, R., Zhu, S., Baustert, G., Flechtner, F., Meixner, H., Satellite dynamics of the CHAMP and GRACE leos as revealed from space- and ground-based tracking, Advances in Space Research 31, 1869-1874, 2003.
Moore, P., Qiang, Z., Crisp, S., "Geodynamical Inferences from CHAMP: orbits and gravity field", EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assembly, Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France, 6 - 11 April 2003, abstract 3814, 2003.
Neuber, T.R., "Preliminary Design of the Laser Reflector Array for the CHAMP Satellite", Proc. of the 10th International Workshop on Laser Ranging Instrumentation, Shanghai Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China, November 11-15, p. 216, 1996.
Neubert, R., Grunwaldt, L., and Neubert, J., "The Retro-Reflector for the CHAMP Satellite: Final Design and Realization", Proc. of the 11th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Deggendorf, Germany, September 21-25, p. 260, 1998.
Reigber, C., and Tapley, B., "A New Class of Satellites for Earth System Sciences: CHAMP and GRACE", Presentation to 12th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Matera, Italy, November 13-17, 2000.
Schmidt, R., Baustert, G., Koenig, R., Meixner, H., Neumayer, K.H., and Reigber, Ch., "The Development of Automated Processing of Orbit Predictions for CHAMP", Presentation to 12th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, Matera, Italy, November 13-17, 2000.
Zhu, S., Reigber, C., Konig, R., "Integrated adjustment of CHAMP, GRACE, and GPS data", Journal of Geodesy 78, 103-108, 2004.