RINEX V2 data files transitioning to gzip format
(02 December 2020)

On 1 December 2020, CDDIS began the automatic conversion of RINEX V2 data files from compress format to gzip format per the direction of the International GNSS Service (IGS). Please see IGS Mail issues 7994, 7981, 7970 along with the IGS knowledge base article:

https://kb.igs.org/hc/article_attachments/360063352932/Addendum_rinex211.pdf

Precise Orbit Determination is a critical part of measuring sea level rise
(15 November 2020)

Precise Orbit Determination (POD) is a geodetic technique that enables knowing the exact position of a satellite above a stable reference point on Earth. Determining the exact position of the satellite when an observation is acquired is crucial in measuring sea level height. As noted by Dr. Frank Lemoine, a geodesist with NASA's Space Geodesy Project and a member of NASA's Ocean Surface Topography science team, "If you don't do POD right, you're not going to get any sea level results."

Read the full article on nasa.gov...

ILRS Virtual World Tour 2020 third circular
(13 October 2020)

Registration for the virtual tours is now open. Attendance for each session will be limited to 250 connections and will be available on a first come, first served basis. We encourage group attendance where possible; only one person is required to register for the group. Interested parties can register at:

https://cddis.nasa.gov/ILRS_Virtual_World_Tour_2020/Registration/

Attendees are required to register for each session they plan to attend. There is no fee for registering and attending any of the tours. Registration will be closed on October 26, 2020.

ILRS Virtual World Tour 2020 second circular
(25 September 2020)

In place of the planned Workshop this November, the ILRS wanted to take the opportunity to try something different and look in detail at a selection of stations in the global network. The online 'Virtual World Tour', to be held November 2-6, 2020, will visit 5 stations in 5 days, stopping at:

• Graz, Austria
• Greenbelt MD, USA
• Simosato, Japan
• Yarragadee, Australia
• Zimmerwald, Switzerland

Each two-hour session will consist of an introductory presentation about the station followed by a tour of the site highlighting instrumentation, software, safety, automation, operations, as well as current issues and future plans. These tours will include a mixture of pre-recorded and live presentations with an opportunity for questions.

More information about the workshop can be found on the website:

https://cddis.nasa.gov/ILRS_Virtual_World_Tour_2020/index.html

and in the second circular.

NASA Earth Science Data and Services Survey for 2020
(23 September 2020)

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, some of you may have received an email from the CFI Group on behalf of NASA. This message asked you to complete a survey for users of NASA Earth science data and services, which includes the Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS). The CDDIS is one of twelve NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) science data centers evaluated by this survey. The purpose of this survey is to help NASA and the DAACs assess customer satisfaction and improve future services. Suggestions from past surveys have been implemented to improve the tools and services offered by the CDDIS.

Please participate! Your feedback affects our future performance and helps to identify science needs. You will be able to take the survey for each DAAC you use. This is your opportunity to influence the priorities of the DAACs, including CDDIS.

If you did not receive a survey and wish to complete one or know of someone who uses CDDIS and/or EOSDIS data and services who did not receive a survey, please contact

surveyhelp@cfigroup.com.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is the only national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the United States. NASA commissioned the CFI Group, an independent research and consulting organization, to conduct a brief survey to rate the products and services NASA currently provides from NASA's EOSDIS data centers. Please consider responding to this survey; your input will help us to better serve our user community.

Presentations of these results given to NASA Earth science are available at:

https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/system-performance/american-customer-satisfaction-index-reports

Thank you in advance to all of you who are willing to spend a few minutes to complete the survey.

ILRS Virtual World Tour 2020
(02 September 2020)

In place of an ILRS Workshop this November, the ILRS wanted to take the opportunity to try something different and look in detail at a selection of stations in the global network. Therefore, the ILRS is planning an online 'Virtual World Tour', to be held November 2-6, 2020, to virtually visit 5 stations around the world in 5 days. To learn more about the event please visit the workshop website: https://cddis.nasa.gov/ILRS_Virtual_World_Tour_2020/index.html.

ILRS Workshops scheduled for 2020 and 2021 postponed
(14 July 2020)

As the ILRS community continues to deal with the impacts from the global coronavirus outbreak, the ILRS and the local organizers in Kunming have concluded that it is no longer possible to hold the 22nd International Workshop on Laser Ranging in October 2020 as planned. The ILRS Governing Board, in consultation with our colleagues in Kunming, has decided that we will delay this workshop until the fall of 2021; final dates for the event will be announced soon. Furthermore, the ILRS and UNSA will postpone the next ILRS Technical/Specialty Workshop, to be held in Arequipa Peru, until the fall of 2022.

We will keep the community informed of additional details as soon as practical.

2021 ILRS Technical/Specialty Workshop
(02 April 2020)

The ILRS Governing Board is pleased to announce that the 2021 ILRS Technical/Specialty Workshop will be held in the October 2021 timeframe in Arequipa, Peru. The workshop will be hosted by the Astronomical and Aerospace Institute at the University of San Agustin.

At this time, the ILRS continues planning for the 22nd International Workshop on Laser Ranging in November 2020 with the local hosts in Kunming, China.

Invitation to the official launch of the new Earthdata User Forum
(18 February 2020)

You are invited to the official launch of the new Earthdata User Forum on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 11AM for a demonstration. The Webex will include an overview of the site, as well as a demonstration of data users' and NASA Distributed Active Archive Centers subject matter experts' interaction about general questions, research needs and data applications.

The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC), in cooperation with ESDIS, has created a new ESDIS Cross-DAAC Forum for Earth Science knowledge discovery and distribution. Currently, ASDC, Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS), Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC), and Land Processes DAAC (LP DAAC) are participants. The Earthdata User Forum offers Earth Science explorers the opportunity to search answers to Earth Science questions across NASA DAACs and Missions.

First announcement of the 22nd International Workshop on Laser Ranging
(08 January 2020)

The 22nd International Workshop on Laser Ranging will be held in Kunming, China November 02 - 06, 2020. There will be five days of interesting presentations, a lot of time for formal and informal discussions, meeting project partners and paving the road for the future development of satellite laser ranging.

During the workshop there will also be a chance to visit the laser ranging station in Kunming. Theme and session topics for the workshop are currently under discussion. The organizers are open for ideas and suggestions, so please contact the local organizing committee at ilrs.workshop@ynao.ac.cn if you would like to see specific topics included in the workshop.

Additional announcements will be made when registration and abstract submission are opened.