Radio Occultation and IROWG Matters Presented to CGMS-42 WGII session, agenda item 7 Co-Chairs: Axel von Engeln (EUMETSAT), Dave Ector (UCAR) Rapporteur: Tony Mannucci (NASA/JPL)

Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites - CGMS Overview Report from IROWG-3 Action and recommendation item status Update on SCOPE-CM RO-CLIM

Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites - CGMS Overview of IROWG-3 Location: Seggau Castle, Leibnitz near Graz, Austria Date: September 5-11, 2013 Attendance: more than 70 scientists attended IROWG-3 and the companion workshop OPAC-5 Recommendations were developed in dedicated sub-working groups and presented in a panel discussion for full agreement http://irowg.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IROWG-3_Minutes_Summary.pdf

Main Recommendations IROWG-3 Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites - CGMS Main Recommendations IROWG-3 Develop a detailed GNSS-RO Continuity Plan Move towards a fully operational GNSS RO constellation providing at least 10,000 observations per day Ensure the continuity of RO measurements Avoid an impending observation gap at mid- and high latitudes Fund the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 Polar mission Missions should enable receiver firmware updates to maximize receiver performance Hold an interagency workshop to define cooperation options for LEO-LEO occultation research

Operational RO Satellites Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites - CGMS Operational RO Satellites Large gap looming at latitudes > 40° FY-series is a new GNSS RO instrument COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 covers up to 40° latitude Requirement met with ≈10 satellites having global coverage tracking 2 GNSS constellations

GNSS RO Gap WMO Objective: 10,000 occultations per day Implementation Plan for the Evolution of Global Observing Systems (EGOS-IP), WMO Integrated Global Observing System, Technical Report No. 2013 – 4 Solution: COSMIC-2 Equatorial and COSMIC-2 Polar (Polar currently not funded) Number of occultations from planned operational satellites Does not include COSMIC-2 Polar

Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites - CGMS Best hope: launch COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 polar constellation Decision needed within months to maintain international collaboration

CGMS-41 Action CLOSED http://irowg.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Status_Global_Observing_System_for_RO.pdf The NWP and IROWG communities have identified a need for at least 10,000 and preferably 16,000 occultations per day, regularly distributed in time and space. Before 2020, this requires both COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 constellations in equatorial and polar orbit. Arrangements have to be made in order to assure an operational baseline of at least 10,000 to 16,000 occultations per day after the end of COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7.

CGMS-41 Action CLOSED Letter sent http://irowg.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Critical_Impact_COSMIC-2-FORMOSAT-7_Programme.pdf Letter sent Critical impact if COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 Polar is not realized

CGMS-40, CGMS-41 Actions OPEN Actionee Action Description WMO Plen IV.4 40.06 WMO to coordinate impact studies, through the CBS, in order to update and refine its requirements for GNSS radio-occultation (e.g. number of occultations/day, distribution in space) EUM WGIII/2.2 41.36 EUMETSAT to report on its study on RO constellation optimisation at CGMS-42. CGMS members WGII 40.23 CGMS to convene through the IROWG  an ad-hoc meeting on the global GNSS-RO constellation, inviting all interested CEOS agencies. EUMETSAT has launched a study to update requirements for GNSS RO Results will be available for the IROWG meeting in Apr 2015 to which CEOS agencies will be invited. New deadline: CGMS-43

RO-CLIM project under SCOPE-CM CGMS-41 Recommendation Actionee Action Description CGMS members WGII/3 R 41.05 CGMS members to consider participation in approved SCOPE-CM phase 2 projects. RO-CLIM project under SCOPE-CM Kicked-off Jan 2014 Covers 5 years Aims to generate 2 FCDR data sets with different maturity level First set starts from ROTrends project, building on CHAMP Second one is extension to include more recent RO data Project lead with DMI/ROM SAF Further information is available at: http://irowg.org/projects/ro-clim-under-scope-cm/

Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites - CGMS Summary Report from IROWG-3 – success! Recommendations from IROWG-3 Need to launch COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 Polar Need for RO continuity plan after COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 Action and recommendation item status Update on SCOPE-CM RO-CLIM

Plenary: Summary of highlights and request for guidance from IROWG-3 15 minutes