In the framework of the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS), DGFI-TUM hosts and operates the
The EDC is, besides NASA's Crustal Dynamics Data Information Center (CDDIS), one of the two ILRS Global Data Centers. The responsibilities of the ILRS Data Centers are to collect and provide Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data (normal points and full-rate data), predictions, and all science data products generated by the ILRS, such as coordinates of SLR observing stations, Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) and satellite orbits. Furthermore, the ILRS Data Centers provide additional information necessary for the proper operation of the SLR stations. As an ILRS Operation Center, DGFI-TUM takes responsibility for quality assurance of the data and formal format conversions. All SLR/LLR data and derived data products are freely available on EDC's FTP (ftp://edc.dgfi.tum.de). In addition, an interface for checking your own data format is provided. The EDC website provides more information on SLR observations and derived data products.
The two data centers keep, as a mutual assurance, identical data sets, which are compared at short intervals. This increases the access security in the event of network or hardware failures. Only direct contact with the SLR stations is divided between the two centers, where the EDC attend to the EUROLAS- the "Western Pacific Laser Tracking Network" (WLTPN) network (see figure). The data processing is fully automatic, so that there are only slight delays between data acquisition and delivery of products.
For mutual assurance, the two Data Centers maintain identical data sets that are matched at short intervals. This increases access security in case of network or hardware failures. Only the direct contact to the SLR stations is divided between the two centers, with the EDC managing the EUROLAS (Consortium of the European Laser Ranging Stations) and the WLTPN (Western Pacific Laser Tracking Network) network (see Figure). Data processing is fully automated, so that there is little delay between data acquisition and provision.