Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The international global navigation satellite systems service (IGS): development and achievements

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Geodesy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since 21 June 1992 the International GPS Service (IGS), renamed International GNSS Service in 2005, produces and makes available uninterrupted time series of its products, in particular GPS observations from the IGS Global Network, GPS orbits, Earth orientation parameters (components x and y of polar motion, length of day) with daily time resolution, satellite and receiver clock information for each day with different latencies and accuracies, and station coordinates and velocities in weekly batches for further analysis by the IERS (International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service). At a later stage the IGS started exploiting its network for atmosphere monitoring, in particular for ionosphere mapping, for troposphere monitoring, and time and frequency transfer. This is why new IGS products encompass ionosphere maps and tropospheric zenith delays. This development became even more important when more and more space-missions carrying space-borne GPS for various purposes were launched. This article offers an overview for the broader scientific community of the development of the IGS and of the spectrum of topics addressed today with IGS data and products.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beutler G, Bauersima I, Gurtner W, Rothacher M, Schildknecht T (1987) Evaluation of the 1984 Alaska Global Positioning System Campaign with the Bernese GPS Software. J Geophys Res (USA) 92:1295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beutler G, Brockmann E (eds) (1993) Proceedings of the 1993 IGS Workshop. Printing Office, University of Bern

  • Beutler G, Mueller II, Neilan RE (1994) The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS): Development and Start of Official Service on 1 January 1994. Bull Geodesique 68(1): 43–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Beutler G, Kouba J, Springer T (1995) Combining the orbits of IGS processing centers. Bull Géodésique 69: 200–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beutler G, Mueller II, Neilan RE (1996) The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS): The Story, International Association of Geodesy Symposia 115. In: Beutler G, Hein G, Melbourne W, Seeber G (eds) GPS Trends in Precise Terrestrial, Airborne and Spaceborne Applications. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 3–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Beutler G, Rothacher M, Schaer S, Springer TA, Kouba J, Neilan R (1999) The International GPS Service (IGS): an interdisciplinary service in support of Earth sciences. Adv Space Res 23: 631–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boucher C, Altamimi Z (1993) Contribution of IGS 92 to the Terrestrial Reference frame. In: Proceedings of the 1993 IGS Workshop, Printing Office, University of Bern

  • Gendt G, Dick G (1995) Special Topics and New Directions. In: Proceedings of IGS Workshop 15–18 May, Potsdam, Germany

  • Kouba J (ed) (1993) IGS Analysis Center Workshop 12–14 October 1993, Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Canada

  • Melbourne WG, Fisher SS, Neilan RE, Yunck TP, Engen B, Reigber Ch, Tatevjan S (1993) The first GPS IERS and Geodynamics Experiment—1991. In: Mader G (eds) Permanent Satellite Tracking Networks for Geodesy and Geodynamics, IAG Symposium 109. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore AW (2007) IGS network: Application of GPS to geodesy. Indian J Radio Space Phys 36: 261–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller II (1990) Satellite Positioning and the IAG, keynote address. In: Proceedings 2nd International Symposium on Precise Positioning with the Global Positioning System-GPS ’90, pp XLVIII-LXVI, The Canadian Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Ottawa K2C 3J1

  • Mueller II (1992a) Planning an International Service using the Global Positioning System (GPS) for Geodynamic Applications. In: Procceedings of the International Association of Geodesy on Permanent Satellite Tracking Networks for Geodesy and Geodynamics, IAG Symposium 109. Springer, Berlin, pp 1–22

  • Mueller II (1992b) The Role of the International Association of Geodesy in Establishing User Services. In: Reigber C, Montag H (eds) IAG Symposium 112, Geodesy and Physics of the Earth, 1993. Springer, Berlin, pp 3–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller II, Beutler G (1992) The International GPS Service for Geodynamics—Development and Current Structure. In: Kumar M, Fell P (eds) Proceedings of the 6th Symposium on Satellite Positioning. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, pp 823–835

  • Mueller II (1993a) The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS) and the Terrestrial Reference Frame. In: Mueller II, Kolaczek B (eds) International Astronomical Union Symposium No. 156: Developments in Astrometry and Their Impact on Astrophysics and Geodynamics. Kluwer, Dordrecht, p 405

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller II (1993b) The International GPS Service for Geodynamics: an Introduction. Beutler G, Brockman E (eds) Proceedings 1993 IGS Workshop, Bern. Printing Office, University of Bern, pp 1–2

  • Mueller II (1993c) The International GPS Service for Geodynamics: Terms of Reference. In: Beutler G, Brockman E (eds) Proceedings 1993 IGS Workshop, Bern. Printing Office, University of Bern, pp 11–18

  • Mueller II (1993d) The IGS Polyhedron: Fiducial Sites and Their Significance. In: Beutler G, Brockman E (eds) Proceedings 1993 IGS Workshop, Bern. Printing Office, University of Bern, pp 76–81

  • Neilan RE, Dixon TH, Meehan TK, Melbourne WG, Scheid JA, Kellogg JN, Stowell JL (1989) Operational Aspects of CASA UNO ’88—The first large scale International GPS Geodetic Network, IEEE Trans Instr Meas (US), 38 (1989) pp 648ff

  • Neilan RE, Melbourne W, Mader G (1990) The Development of a Global GPS Tracking System in Support of Space and Ground-based GPS Programs. In: Bock Y, Leppard N (eds) Global Positioning System: an Overview, IAG Symposium 102. Springer, Berlin, pp 165–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Neilan RE, Van Scoy PA, Zumberge JF (eds) (1996) 1996 IGS Analysis Center Workshop, 19–21 March 1996, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

  • Neilan RE, Van Scoy PA, Woodworth PL (eds) (1997) Workshop on Methods for Monitoring Sea Level, 19–21 March 1996, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, USA

  • The IGS Governing Board (2002) IGS Strategic Plan 2002–2007, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, USA, JPL 400-1000 03/02

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Astronomical Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Gerhard Beutler

  2. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 238-540, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA

    Angelyn W. Moore

  3. Department of Geodetic Science, The Ohio State University, 4361 Shire Creek Court, Hilliard, OH, 43026, USA

    Ivan I. Mueller

Authors
  1. Gerhard Beutler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Angelyn W. Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ivan I. Mueller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerhard Beutler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beutler, G., Moore, A.W. & Mueller, I.I. The international global navigation satellite systems service (IGS): development and achievements. J Geod 83, 297–307 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-008-0268-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-008-0268-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation