GOCE Activities in the Netherlands

Dutch groups and persons have been participating in GOCE activities from the early days of the project till now and are planning to stay involved until the goals of the mission will be realised. The activities, that actually go back all the way to the first ideas of the ARISTOTELES mission, have been evolving over many aspects of the mission, from instrument simulation via data processing to user applications. The groups now involved can rely on a long lasting expertise in the respective fields of interest: space geodesy, orbital mechanics, space research and technology, oceanography and geodynamics. In the context of GOCE, but also in related fields, the participating Dutch groups have established both national and international cooperation and reputation. A Dutch GOCE User Community is being established and this paper will present the ongoing and planned GOCE activities within this community. In this overview we will deal with issues of organisation, science projects, cooperation and an outlook to the future after GOCE.