National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Background

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Geodesy Project (SGP) is soliciting information to improve its understanding of the interest, capabilities, and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates for planning the construction, deployment, and operation of the next generation Space Geodesy (SG) stations that will be part of a new NASA Space Geodetic Network (SGN). NASA is considering the construction of up to ten new or upgraded stations that will contribute to the larger Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS).

This RFI is limited to obtaining the information necessary to assess the interest and improve understanding of existing capabilities for addressing the SG initiative and SG recommendations identified in the National Research Council reports "Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond" and "Precise Geodetic Infrastructure, National Requirements for a Shared Resource." The next-generation SG prototype also serves as the basis for future production units. Therefore, the scope of this RFI includes: 1) the advanced engineering design effort to transition from the SG prototype design into the first production unit; 2) developing the first, next generation SG production units, including construction and testing; 3) site preparation and infrastructure development, 4) completing the on-site, field installation; 5) successfully completing on-site acceptance testing; and 6) operation of an SG station with all techniques.

The full RFI instructions can be downloaded here.

 

Documents referenced in the RFI:

• "The Global Geodetic Observing System: Meeting the Requirements of a Global Society on a Changing Planet in 2020", H.-P. Plag & M. Perlman, Editors, Geoscience Books, Springer Berlin, 2009.

• Gross, R., Beutler, G., Plag, H.-P., 2009, "Integrated scientific and societal user requirements and functional specifications for the GGOS". In Plag, H.-P. And Pearlman M., (eds): The Global Geodetic Observing System: Meeting the Requirements of a Global Society on a Changing Planet in 2020, Geoscience Books, 209-224, Springer Berlin, 2009.

• "Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond", [a.k.a. "the Decadal Survey"], National Research Council, The National Academies Press, 2007; available in PDF format (after free subscription) at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13405
• "Precise Geodetic Infrastructure, National Requirements for a Shared Resource", National Research Council, The National Academies Press, 2010; available in PDF format (after free subscription) at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12954
• "Design Aspects of the VLBI2010 System, Progress Report of the IVS VLBI2010 Committee", NASA/TM-2009-214180, June 2009
• "VLBI2010 Concept Diagram"
• IVS VLBI2010 Workshop on Technical Specifications (TecSpec), Bad Kötzting/Wettzell (Germany), March 1-2, 2012
• "VLBI High-Level Requirements"
• "NGSLR Hardware Manual", Thomas Zagwodzki, Jan McGarry, Jack Cheek, Howard Donovan, Felipe Hall, Evan Hoffman, Donald Patterson, Mike Perry, Alice Nelson
• "Improvements at NASA's NGSLR in Support of GNSS Ranging", Jan F. McGarry, Thomas Varghese, Thomas W. Zagwodzki, John J. Degnan, John W. Cheek, Howard Donovan, Donald Patterson, Christopher Clark, Donald B. Coyle, Demetrios Poulios
• "Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory Site Baseline Report"
• "Monument Peak Site Baseline Report"

 

Links for more information:

• Space Geodesy Project (SGP)
• International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS)
• International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS)
• International DORIS Service (IDS)
• International GNSS Service (IGS)
• International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS)
• Other VLBI2012 publications