[IGSMAIL-7121] igs08_1852.atx: Update on PRN08, MGEX version on the horizon

[Ralf Schmid]

Dear IGS colleagues!

The absolute IGS antenna correction file (igs08_wwww.atx) has been 
updated. The new release is called 'igs08_1852.atx'. It contains the 
following change:

According to the IGS tracking statistics provided by CODE 
(ftp://ftp.unibe.ch/aiub/igsdata/odata_gnss_day.txt), Block IIR-M 
satellite SVN49/PRN08 stopped signal transmission on 1 July 2015 (DOY 
182). Therefore, the following decommission date has been added:

G08 (G049):  1 July 2015

According to Richard Langley, PRN08 will probably be taken over by the 
next Block IIF satellite:
> 28. The next GPS satellite to be launched is IIF-10 (SVN72/PRN08), destined for
>     slot C3, with a projected launch date of 15 July 2015.
http://www2.unb.ca/gge/Resources/GPSConstellationStatus.txt

The updated antenna correction model is available at
ftp://ftp.igs.org/pub/station/general/igs08_1852.atx
or
ftp://ftp.igs.org/pub/station/general/igs08.atx

In accordance with IGS 2014 Workshop recommendations, future releases of 
igs08.atx will contain satellite antenna phase center corrections for 
the new GNSS (Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, IRNSS). In order to facilitate a 
smooth transition to an MGEX-compatible version of the IGS antenna phase 
center model, parallel files with and without the MGEX extension will be 
offered over a limited period of about 2-3 months.

However, igs08.atx users could already check now whether their software 
to read and/or convert the model was ready for the following new 
satellite antenna types:
> +----------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
> | Satellite Antennae   |                                                       |
> | IGS Codes-20 columns |                      Description                      |
> | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX |                                                       |
> +----------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
> | BEIDOU-2G            |  BeiDou-2 GEO                                         |
> | BEIDOU-2I            |  BeiDou-2 IGSO                                        |
> | BEIDOU-2M            |  BeiDou-2 MEO                                         |
> | BEIDOU-3I            |  BeiDou-3 IGSO                                        |
> | GALILEO-0A           |  Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element A (GIOVE-A)      |
> | GALILEO-0B           |  Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element B (GIOVE-B)      |
> | GALILEO-1            |  Galileo IOV     : GSAT 0101-0104                     |
> | GALILEO-2            |  Galileo FOC     : GSAT 0201-0222                     |
> | IRNSS-1GEO           |  IRNSS-1 GEO                                          |
> | IRNSS-1IGSO          |  IRNSS-1 IGSO                                         |
> | QZSS                 |  QZSS            : SVN 01                             |
> +----------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
ftp://ftp.igs.org/pub/station/general/rcvr_ant.tab

The corresponding frequency codes (e.g., "E01") can be found in the 
ANTEX format description:
ftp://ftp.igs.org/pub/station/general/antex14.txt
For IRNSS (not yet contained in the format specification), the system 
identifier "I" will be used in accordance with the upcoming RINEX 3.03 
standard. The corresponding frequency codes are "I05" (L5 band) and 
"I09" (S band). As regards BeiDou, duplicate entries for "C01" and "C02" 
will be provided for the B1 frequency band taking into account different 
signal specifications in RINEX 3.01/03 and RINEX 3.02.

With best regards,
Ralf Schmid and Oliver Montenbruck