Satellite gravity missions

Gravity is considered as the basic physical force in the nature. Modern satellite missions: CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE allowed modeling of the global gravity field with very high accuracy, as well as its spatial and temporal variations. This paper describes the main objectives, characteristics, the latest results of these missions, as well as the expectations of the future observations, and their importance and contributions for the surveying and geodetic practice, and scientific achievements as well, in geodesy, geophysics and hydrology.