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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 – 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

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

8. CGMS-41 Action
CLOSED
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.

9. CGMS-41 Action CLOSED Letter sent
Letter sent
Critical impact if COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 Polar is not realized

10. 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

11. 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:

12. 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

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