Speaker
Dr
richard Biancale
(CNES/GRGS)
Description
It is known that the VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) network suffers from a lack of implementation in the South Pacific area. It is why GRGS was considering setting up a VLBI antenna in Tahiti in cooperation with NASA.
There is an existing geodetic observatory (OGT) in the campus of the French Polynesian University (UPF) which was created in 1998 in a tripartite cooperation between UPF, NASA and CNES. It gathers several geodetic instruments such as the NASA’s MOBLAS-8 station, a DORIS master beacon and several GNSS receivers. But there is not enough room to install a VLBI antenna, moreover in an environment surrounded by many buildings or houses.
That is why we explored other hosting possibilities for a NASA's VLBI2010 antenna and other new geodetic instruments (SLR-NG, Regina GNSS, DORIS). Finally, we could find an adequate ground on the site of the Tahiti Nui Telecom (TNT) company. The project was submitted then to the French involved organisms: CNES, INSU-CNRS, OCA… and to NASA for further implementing studies.
We propose to describe the state-of-the-art of this project for a possible realization from 2018 in addition to the core space geodetic network. Some simulation results will be presented as well in support to this project.
Primary author
Dr
richard Biancale
(CNES/GRGS)
