The performance of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is impacted by signal propagation impairments due to the ionosphere. The Monitor project launched by ESA in the frame of the European GNSS Evolutions Programme in 2010 aims to improve our knowledge of ionospheric variability and disturbances through the development of specific GNSS receiver, the deployment of a set of receivers worldwide distributed, and the analysis of data, both TEC (total electron content) and scintillations.
CS GROUP – ROMANIA realized the inventory of the available datasets and revised the existing Central Archiving and Processing Facility by implementing a more flexible archiving system to cope better with data flows, processor load, robustness and interruptions/updates. The new system included a triple facility called MIR (MONARCHI-INTERIM-REPUBLIC) including the following elements:
- MONARCHI: MONitor ARCHIve and processing facility, in charge of maintaining the archive and dealing with the processing and generation of internal products and reports.
- INTERIM: Intermediate Node for TEmporary Recording of Ionospheric Monitoring data, in charge of intermediate collection/provision of data from stations and external processors and providers into a FTP folder structure, as well as the validation of the files by various criteria
- REPUBLIC: REPository for PUBlished Ionospheric Content, acts as the system portal, in charge of interfacing the outside world public or authorized users, via web and ftp providing data, final products and reporting.