NASA Geosciences Support | UNAVCO Facility

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NASA Geosciences Support

NASA's Earth Surface and Interior Focus Area - Science Mission Directorate

NASA-JPL provides support for the GPS infrastructure through a network of permanent GPS stations called the Global GPS Network (GGN) which represents approximately 20% of the stations that make up the IGS permanent station global network. Data from these stations are used to produce highly accurate products that are essential for Earth science research, multidisciplinary applications, and education. The products include GPS satellite ephemerides, Earth rotation parameters, global tracking station coordinates and velocities, GPS satellite and tracking station clock information, zenith tropospheric path delay estimates, and global ionospheric maps. These products support Earth science and other activities such as: improving and extending the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) maintained by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), monitoring deformation of the Earth, monitoring Earth rotation, monitoring the troposphere and ionosphere, and determining orbits of scientific satellites. NASA also supports the IGS Central Bureau in its management of an organizational infrastructure for GPS data collection and distribution in support of science and research applications utilizing the GGN data.

The UNAVCO Facility supports the operation and maintenance of these critical components of the NASA-GGN efforts through the following actions.

Click for Map		The GGN Network: Staff and infrastructure to monitor, maintain and operate the GGN Network for NASA-JPL. Monitoring efforts and first response authority to ensure continuous operation of the GGN network, are maintained at a sub-hourly level. JPL personel are closely involved in day to day operations and direct long term goals and priorities. See map of GGN stations here.

Click for Map		The International GNSS Service (IGS): UNAVCO support to the IGS Central Bureau includes providing technical and logistical support for the various IGSCB responsibilities and functions such as web mirror maintenance and readiness, TEQC development and maintenance, and IGS Workshop contributions. See map of IGS stations here.

Click for Map		Research Application Projects: Support to Principal Investigator for NASA Earth Science Research opportunities on an as needed basis. This also includes data archiving for GPS stations funded under the former Science and Natural Hazards Program (SENH). See map of SENH stations here.

Special Project Support

Global Civilian Tracking of the Block II-RM L2C signal Experiment.

UNAVCO is supporting JPL with logistical and equipment configuration support for the “First demonstration of Global Civil Tracking of the Block II-RM L2C Signal (GCTL2C)” experiment funded by NASA. The objectives of this demonstration project are to show the feasibility to track and the benefits for the IGS community from this new civilian signal. Using existing NASA/JPL/UNAVCO capabilities and the existing GGN network distribution, six new L2C capable GPS receivers have been deployed to existing GGN and IGS stations.

The Unification of African Reference Frames (AFREF) Project.

The AFREF Project has been designed to unify African national reference frames into a single reference frame based on the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) and its realization, the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). The project will be designed, managed and executed by African countries with the assistance and advice of the international geodetic community. This will enhance the skills of African geodesists, surveyors and researchers in geodesy and the applications of Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) in particular. UNAVCO will participate in the upcoming AFREF technical meeting in South Africa in July 2006.

GGN Antenna and Monumentation Calibration Experiment.

UNAVCO is constructing an antenna and monumentation calibration facility at Marshall Field just outside Boulder, CO. Continuing experiments and antenna tests will be conducted to gain better knowledge of the effects of equipment (especially antenna) swaps on position solution. Also, the effects of monumentation and antenna height on multipath and radome effects will be investigated.

Last modified Tuesday, 15-Apr-2008 11:10:03 MDT