Subject: [IGSMAIL-4354]: New IERS name (fwd)
From: Jim Ray "(NGS" 301-713-2850 "x112)" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 08:04:35 -0400 (EDT)

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IGS Electronic Mail      25 Apr 05:05:09 PDT 2003      Message Number 4354
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Author: Jan Vondrak  (forwarded by Jim Ray)

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IERS Message No. 42                                       April 25, 2003
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Dear colleagues,

At the recent meeting of the IERS Directing Board in Paris (April 2, 
2003), the conclusions of the IERS Retreat (Paris, March 31 - April 1, 
2003) were reviewed. The Retreat was convened to determine the future 
direction of the Service focusing on the improvement of the consistency
and accuracy of its products. The IERS Directing Board noted that the
name of the Service is slightly misleading since it describes only one
of its major activities.

The preamble of the IERS as given in its Terms of Reference reads:

  The International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) was established in 
  1987 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the 
  International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) and began 
  operation on 1 January 1988. IERS is a member of the Federation of 
  Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services (FAGS). 

  The primary objectives of the IERS are to serve the astronomical, 
  geodetic, and geophysical communities by providing the following:
  -  The International Celestial Reference System (ICRS) and its 
     realization, the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF).
  -  The International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) and its
     realization, the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF).
  -  Earth orientation parameters required to study Earth orientation 
     variations and to transform between the ICRF and the ITRF.
  -  Geophysical data to interpret time/space variations in the ICRF, 
     ITRF, or Earth orientation parameters, and model such variations.
  -  Standards, constants, and models (i.e., conventions) encouraging 
     international adherence.

These Terms of Reference show clearly that the IERS is composed of a 
broad spectrum of activities performed by governmental, academic, and 
selected commercial organizations. In order to reflect the Service's 
broader spectrum of generated products, the Directing Board decided 
unanimously to change the name, without modifying either the acronym 
(IERS) or its goals and missions, to the 

      International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service 
      (Service International de la Rotation de la Terre et 
       des Systemes de Reference).

Therefore, I am asking you to be so kind and recognize this important 
change when using the full name of the Service.

Jan Vondrak               
Chairman of the IERS Directing Board

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