Minutes from CSTG SLR/LLR Subcommission Steering Committee Meeting

Shanghai, China
November 15, 1996

Michael Pearlman/CFA

The SLR/LLR Subcommission Steering Committee met on Friday afternoon. Attendees included:

Andy Sinclair, Werner Gurtner, Wolfgang Seemueller, Gerhard Beutler, Yang Fu Min, Hiroo Kunimori, John Luck, Richard Eanes, John Degnan, and Mike Pearlman.

The Working Group on Time Bias Corrections met during the week. Roger Wood was selected as Chairperson and they formulated the first draft of their recommendations for standardizing time bias functions and distribution mechanism (see Attachment 9). For hardcopies of any attachments, contact Michael Pearlman.

Discussions commenced on the reorganization of the SLR/LLR Subcommission. To date, the subcommission has been focussed mainly on network operations: informing the stations of missions status and readiness, establishing tracking programs and setting priorities, and providing a forum for operational and technical discussions. For some time we have discussed the need to expand the role of the Subcommission to make it inclusive of all of the functions necessary to provide "end-to-end conductivity from data generation to end-user". We need to structure something that makes us more productive and more responsive to our customer's needs. This is going to require better standardization and quality assurance all the way from the stations through to the issue of final products.

To help us work toward this philosophy, set of goals was drafted:

1. To ensure that SLR and LLR are providing the correct products to the end-users, and are of the highest quality.
2. To ensure that adequate measurement network information is maintained and managed for the benefit of the end-users, the analysts, and the stations.
3. To achieve optimal performance of the stations, the networks, and the analysis centers.

Gerhard Beutler, has urged us to consider an "International Laser Tracking Network (ILTN)" entity, modelled after the IGS, which has become the central focus for global GPS activity. We would need to decide the role of the SLR Subcommission within this entity, but we should rely as much as possible on existing organization.

It was agreed that we should examine the IGS structure to see how it might be adapted for the SLR situation. It was also agreed that we needed to organize working groups to conduct the daily business of the ILTN, both on a long term basis and on a basis of short term special needs. Four working groups were identified as key elements in a revised structure and assignments were made to develop a charter and list of tasks for each:

• Missions and Liaisons with End Users (Mike Pearlman, Hiroo Kunimori)
  • User interface, mission liaison, requirements, standards, project document, project documentation
• Network Operations and Engineering (John Degnan, John Luck, Werner Gurtner)
  • Station status, performance, configuration, engineering upgrades, etc.
• Analysis and Data Operations (Richard Eanes, Ron Noomen, Wolfgang Seemeuller)
  • Standardization and improvements of data and analysis products, performance assessment, predictions, data bases, modelling, interface with IERS, etc.
• Formats and Procedures (Andy Sinclair, Van Husson, Yang Fu Min)
  • Standardization, improvements, predictions, normal point standards, etc.

The next task is to draw up some terms of reference for the new ILTN and to define the working group responsibilities, tasks, objectives, and methods of operation. The leader of each group should commence work on this task, and iterate with the other members of the group. Reports from each working group should be sent to John Degnan and Peter Shelus by January 31.

In order to get the process going:

• John Degnan will send out guidelines for each working group by December 15.
• Peter Shelus will rework the IGS "Terms of Reference" into an SLR/LLR document by December 15 and circulate it for review and comment. Peter will also provide LLR coordination through this organization process.
• Each of the working group committees will develop a definition of the work group responsibilities, tasks, objectives, and envisioned methods of operation, and forward the material to John Degnan and Peter Shelus by January 31.

The intent is to have a completed organization plan ready for discussion at the next Subcommission meeting, tentatively scheduled for late May or early June in Italy, in association with the WEGENER Meeting.

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Author: Carey Noll
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