CHAMP (satellite)
Challenging Minisatellite Payload was a German satellite launched July 15, 2000 from Plesetsk, Russia and was used for atmospheric and ionospheric research, as well as other geoscientific applications, such as GPS radio occultation.
CHAMP was managed by :de:Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum|GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam.
The spacecraft is the first application of Astrium's "Flexbus" platform; GRACE was the second. A heavily modified version flew as the GOCE mission.
CHAMP completed its mission and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 19 September 2010 after 10 years.
The mission was judged as being successful by the involved scientists.
