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Project INDIGO
Prepared for:
RTOP: 428-88-04-40
JPL Account: 102390-E.1
INDIGO Team:
Angelyn Moore/JPL, Carey Noll/NASA-GSFC, Mike Pearlman/CfA, Dave Stowers/JPL,
Dirk Behrend/NVI, Frank Webb/JPL, Tom Yunck/JPL
INDIGO
Overview
The main objective of INDIGO is to enable improved performance, accuracy, and efficiency in
support of NASA’s Earth science and international user community by developing and providing
uniform access to heterogeneous space geodetic data systems. This collective effort will be built
upon data and information systems of space geodetic observations that come from the techniques
of the Global Positioning System (GPS), Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Satellite
Laser Ranging (SLR), which are fundamental for defining and maintaining the precise reference
system. The system will be flexibly designed to be able to include or incorporate other geodetic
techniques data and products, and have comprehensive links to other data system holdings.
The community-based international scientific services - the International GNSS Service (IGS -
formerly the International GPS Service), International VLBI Service (IVS) and International
Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) - are committed to support and evolve data information systems.
INDIGO is a collaborative activity led by JPL and GSFC, the homes of these three service
information systems. These geodetic services fundamentally support the International Earth
Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) and therein the generation and maintenance of the
International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). Recognizing current scientific concepts and
requirements of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), a program of the International
Association of Geodesy (IAG) and acknowledged participant of the GEOSS, unification of these
data systems is very timely and the first steps towards identify scientific users needs has been
taken in order to implement an architecture best suited to serve the community.
Extensive user participation in the formulation of the new system has been undertaken resulting
in an assessment report and concept notes to guide development. INDIGO website has been
established. INDIGO principals are engaged in the GGOS activities and to a large extent are
leading the developments towards realizing an inter-technique data information system. We
foresee the user interface and access as streamlined and seamless with state-of-the-art web-based
service. This is because INDIGO will extend the GPS Seamless Archive (GSAC) philosophy to
all data types, creating a Global Seamless Archive for geodetic data, products, and information.
Data and products can be made readily available to a user from globally distributed data systems
without the user searching through multiple systems.
1. Finalize task details and budget (30 July 2004) secure HQ approval, funds on contract.
3. Assessment of current services, review existing structures, data and product holdings,
information, meta-data, and services. Service data and product comparison tables on website :
http://indigo.nasa.gov/indigo_serva.html
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4. Static collocation table developed as first step to dynamic database on station catalog and
observations; http://indigo.nasa.gov/sgp_colocations.html
5. Establish the Inter-Service WG and lead the Data and Information System Working Group of
the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). INDIGO principals lead the Ground Networks
and Communications Working Group of GGOS to work toward integration of the networks.
People from many different disciplines and organizations, including gravity field, are engaged
and communicating regularly. The WGs collaborated in putting together papers for the IAG
meeting in Cairns and its proceedings. INDIGO team is involved in unprecedented approach to
network integration and is working towards developing quantitative measurement user
requirements, which will certainly impact the data systems. Continuous since mid-2004.
The metadata specification was therefore identified as an early goal which will in several ways
enable the stated specific goal of INDIGO services: easy comparison of single and multi-
technique results with one another in sensible ways. This will also meet INDIGO's extensibility
goal of allowing related data providers (such as other geodetic techniques) to participate by
providing information in a standardized way. The team noted related developments in this area:
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- XML development at the IERS CB, related to ISO 19115/19139
- XML development at SOPAC, including a full specification of a geodetic monument
The team has developed a prototype based on the SOPAC geodetic monument definition, with
extensions for identifying geodetic technique, vectors between nearby monuments, and operating
status. The team has also identified sources of input data to populate the database once defined.
This initial set of information will allow INDIGO to begin providing valuable information to the
multi-technique community such as site tie information and technique co-location information.
Further developments in the phased approach will include anomalous periods and specific
operating periods.
Budget
INDIGO Budget Guideline is $500K Funds split between JPL and GSFC at NASA HQ,
FY05/FY06 request:
JPL: $248K
GSFC: $252K inclusive of full cost accounting per NASA HQ direction (~$72K)
Plans CY 2006
1. Architect and begin implementing the phased design for INDIGO services and capabilities.
Design including Global Seamless Archive System (GSAC) approach for INDIGO and continue
to propagate approach and methods to benefit GGOS as appropriate.
2. Develop catalog of stations and observations; provide a central template to collect station meta-
data and encourage all Service network coordinators, managers and stations operators to provide
information and adhere to the convention
3. Meeting with Science Team for review of the design and implementation for the above (3rd
quarter 2006)
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INDIGO GOALS & OBJECTIVES
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Completed or action in process
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Related publications and presentations
Noll, C.E. and M. Dube "Archiving Space Geodesy Data for 20+ Years at the CDDIS", EOS Trans. AGU,
85(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract G53A-0124.
R.E. Neilan, A. Moore, J. Dow, G. Gendt, and R. Weber (2004), "International GPS Service - 10 Years
History, New Directions for GNSS and Space Geodesy", EOS Trans. AGU, 85(47), Fall Meet. Suppl.,
Abstract G53A-0124.
Thomas P Yunck, T.P, and R. E. Neilan “Integration of Space Geodesy: A US National Geodetic
Observatory”, Journal of Geodynamics, in press, 2005
Noll, C.E. "The Crustal Dynamics Data Information System: NASA'S Archive of Space Geodesy Data",
NP-2005-111-734.
Pearlman, M., et al., “GGOS Working Group on Ground Networks and Communications”, Proceedings
IAG/IAPSO Assembly, Cairns, Australia, August 22-26, 2005, in preparation, 2006.
Neilan, et al., “Integrated Data and Information System for the Global Geodetic Observing System”,
Presentation, IAG/IAPSO Assembly, Cairns, Australia, August 22-26, 2005
Moore, A.W. et al., "INDIGO: Inter-service Data Integration for Geodetic Operations”, Potsdam,
Germany, March 01-02, 2005.
Moore, A.W. et al., "INDIGO: Inter-service Data Integration for Geodetic Operations” at IERS
Combination Pilot Project (CPP) Workshop, Napa, CA, December 11, 2004.