CIGNET and NGS Orbit Production Experiences Related to the IGS

Abstract

The Cooperative International GPS Network (CIGNET) and the routine orbit production at the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) provide a useful body of experience demonstrating that the goals of the International GPS Service are practical and can be realized in the near future. All the basic elements of the proposed service are currently employed, from global data tracking and data retrival to distribution of a standard product ephemeris. The principle differences between the current operations and those anticipated in the IGS are in the scale of the operation, the uniformity of standards throughout the operation and the quality of the GPS ephemerides.

Previously at: Geodetic Research and Development Laboratory

National Geodetic Survey, Coast and Geodetic Survey

National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration