The International GPS Service: Celebrating the 10th anniversary and looking to the next decade

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The International GPS Service: Celebrating the 10th anniversary and looking to the next decade

Dow, J.M. / Neilan, R.E. / Gendt, G.

AbstractAfter 10 years as a service of the International Association of Geodesy, the International GPS Service IGS is preparing for the future use of multiple integrated global navigation satellite systems: GPS and its modernisation, Galileo and GLONASS. Since 1994, the IGS produces GPS data and products at the highest level of precision and accuracy available anywhere: it provides GPS orbits with 3–5cm accuracy, sub-centimetre station positions and velocities, and station and satellite clocks at the sub-nanosecond level for users world-wide. A similar suite of data and products is available for GLONASS, demonstrating the ability of the IGS to incorporate observations from other GNSSs, such as Galileo. IGS affirms its interest to contribute to the development and applications of the Galileo programme and other GNSS. IGS currently consists of over 200 actively contributing organizations in more than 80 countries and a global network of more than 350 stations. The working groups and pilot projects of the IGS demonstrate IGS involvement in applications related to the precise global reference frame, timing, ionosphere, atmospheric water vapour, low Earth orbiter precise orbit determination (LEO POD), sea level change measurements, real-time GPS applications, and GNSS developments.