[IGSMAIL-6706] Short Summary of the 41th IGS Governing Board Meeting

[Urs Hugentobler]

Dear Colleagues,

It is time to give a short summary of the topics discussed at the 41st 
International GNSS Service Governing Board Meeting held in San Francisco 
on December 2, 2012. The meeting was dominated by two major topics, 
namely the readiness for the launch of the IGS Real-time Service and the 
IGS Strategic Plan for 2013-2017.

* IGS Real-Time Service

A significant share of the time was allocated to the current status and 
schedule for launching the IGS Real-time Service. Mark Caissy - with 
support from Loukis Agrotis connected through telecon - presented the 
status: Close to 200 tracking stations provide real-time tracking data 
and eight RT ACs compute GPS real-time clocks that are combined by two 
combination centers and distributed by two product distribution centers. 
The GB considers the current status of implementation, the redundancy 
concept and the demonstrated product accuracy mature for the launch of 
the Initial Operational Capability of the Service in the beginning of 
next year. Georg Weber demonstrated the capabilities of the combined 
GPS+GLONASS product. The GB rates the status of this proposed product at 
a level that allows to make it available as experimental product to the 
users. Significant work is currently invested - in close contact with 
the IGS CB - with setting up the web site that presents the interface to 
the users with the necessary information concerning the available 
real-time products, monitoring figures of their performance, and the 
details on how to access and use them. With the conclusion of this work 
Initial Operational Capability of the IGS RT Service can be made 
available very early in 2013 with Full Operational Capability later in 
2013. The Service will rapidly develop into a Multi-GNSS Service. Its 
focus are geophysical applications, e.g. natural hazards monitoring in 
the framework of GGOS, but it will support a large variety of 
application in positioning, navigation, time transfer, system monitoring.

* IGS Real-Time WG Chair

NRCan committed to support Mark Caissy for another year as the Chair of 
the RT WG. The German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy 
confirmed is support for Georg Weber as potential WG Chair, while 
European Space Agency confirmed the support of Loukis Agrotis as the RT 
ACC. On behalf of the IGS GB I thank these institutions for their 
important and significant support for the IGS real-time activities. The 
GB decided for continuity in leadership in the process of launching the 
RT Service and is thus very glad that Mark Caissy accepted to continue 
chairing the RT WG.

* Multi-GNSS Experiment M-GEX

Although Oliver Montenbruck, Chair of the GNSS WG, could not attend the 
meeting, he provided a comprehensive report on the status and progress 
made in the experiment. The network currently consists of 50 fully 
operational globally distributed stations and 10-20 stations that are 
about to be integrated into the network. Orbit and clock products for 
Galileo and QZSS are routinely generated by AIUB, CLS, GFZ and TUM. The 
M-GEX web site has been revised with the support of the IGS CB and 
contains plenty of information about the experiment as well as on the 
different satellite constellations. The WG plans to focus on data flow, 
understanding of observables, site characterization and the generation 
of products, targeting the launch of a Pilot Project in 2015. For this 
the contributions from all IGS components are essential.

The GB acknowledged the significant progress achieved in its cornerstone 
experiment that prepares the IGS for the future. The GB decided to 
dissolve the M-GEX Organizing Committee and to assign all its functions 
to the GNSS WG. It also decided to rename the GNSS WG into Multi-GNSS WG 
(MGWG) in order to better emphasize its working field and the 
responsibility for M-GEX.

* IGS Strategic Plan 2013-2017


Steve Fisher from the IGS CB presented the Progress Report for the 
period 2008-2012 which exists as a draft document that records and 
quantifies, based on the annual implantation plans, the progress made by 
the IGS in the different fields addressed by the Strategic Plan. Juan 
Ceva from the IGS CB then presented the status and progress of the 
Strategic Plan for the next period. The process shall lead to an updated 
version of the current plan, including elements that allow for a better 
monitoring and reporting of progress. As a preparatory step a SWOT 
analysis was performed by members of the GB and selected stakeholders, 
analyzing strengths, weaknesses of the IGS and opportunities and threads 
the IGS faces. The analysis resulted in three goals that essentially 
correspond to the goals formulated in the current plan. The goals are 
further decomposed into several objectives which in turn are decomposed 
into initiatives. Targets and measures are being defined allowing to 
assess the status of each objective with respect to the target for a 
regular monitoring by the GB. Goals, objectives, measures and targets 
were further extensively discussed by a smaller group of GB members the 
day after the GB meeting. The final version of the new Strategic Plan 
will be available early next year. I want to thank the IGS CB team for 
the big effort spent for the preparation of all these documents 
supporting the finalization of the new Strategic Plan.

* GB Membership

This year no elections were required. GB membership of Steve Fischer as 
IGS CB Secretariat was approved by the Board. Given the successful 
review of the work of the IGS Working Groups and Pilot Projects 
documented with the very successful IGS Workshop in Olsztyn this year, 
the GB was glad to extend the terms of those WG and PP Chairs whose 
terms end this year. I would like to thank all WG and PP Chairs and 
members for their work and time they contribute to the IGS.

* Next Workshop, next GB Meeting

After reports of the IGS components and short update of the IGS 
relations with other entities, Allison Craddock from IGS CB presented a 
proposal for the next IGS Workshop to be hosted in 2014 at JPL in 
Pasadena. We can already look forward for a next successful workshop 
that coincides with the 20th anniversary of the IGS!

The next GB Meeting will take place on Sunday, April 7, 2013 in Vienna, 
Austria, in conjunction with the European Geophysical Union General 
Assembly.

As usual the GB Meeting was longer than planned, finishing just in time 
to join the well attended GGOS Reception, allowing for a social 
gathering with humorous short presentations from several of our colleagues.

I like to sincerely thank all participants and supporters of the IGS for 
your efforts and for all that was achieved in this past year. The thanks 
goes to the network operators, operators of data centers and analysis 
centers, the product coordinators, WG, PP and Committee chairs and 
members, the Central Bureau, GB and EC members, and all institutions 
supporting the IGS. Your work made the past year a really successful 
year for the IGS. I wish you all Merry Christmas, relaxing holidays and 
a successful and prosperous 2013!

With best regards

Urs Hugentobler

Chair, IGS Governing Board

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