NGS began releasing preliminary products for testing and feedback, “alpha releases” in 2024 and “beta” releases in 2025. See the products planned for these releases and their current status:
— RELEASED TO BETA — This suite of models allows people to derive accurate height information, especially from GPS. It will serve as the reference surface for height measurements in the future.
— RELEASED TO BETA — These frames will serve as the future reference for all measurements of latitude, longitude, and ellipsoid height in the United States. They are defined by transformation from international models using Euler Pole Parameters that were found for each tectonic plate.
— RELEASED TO BETA — This system of map projections is how most surveyors will use and reference the NSRS. Also most statewide Geographic Information System (GIS) managers will want to adopt new statewide zones.
— INITIAL VERSION RELEASED TO BETA — This software tool is being rolled out in a limited capacity for SPCS2022, allowing for accurate “transformations” between different coordinate systems so people can use the system they need regardless of how the original data was provided. (Later beta versions will include the ability to transform between reference frames and vertical datums, not just for SPCS2022.)
— PENDING FOR BETA RELEASE — The Data Delivery System landing page will provide an updated version of the “NGS Map” and “Looking for Benchmarks” pages. This new landing page will allow you to access modernized informational pages about geodetic stations and geodetic marks.
— PENDING FOR BETA RELEASE — Geodetic station pages will offer an updated version of the current NOAA CORS Network (NCN) station pages. Geodetic mark pages will be updated datasheets, replacing the current ASCII text file version of datasheets. The updated coordinates (reference epoch coordinates) for marks and updated CORS coordinate functions (CCFs) for CORSs in the modernized NSRS will be available through these pages.
— PENDING FOR BETA RELEASE —
NCAT will be updated through multiple versions, currently with state plane coordinates, then later adding support for various geopotential calculations including ellipsoid/orthometric height conversion as well as NADCON (geometric) and VERTCON (orthometric) transformations from the current NSRS to the modernized NSRS.
— PENDING FOR BETA RELEASE — OPUS-Static will function similarly to today’s tool, but it will operate with the modernized NSRS, including the support of multi-GNSS data. Additionally, the popular function of “sharing” your solution with others (colloquially called “OPUS-Share”) will be retained, but with appropriate caveats that the shared solution should not be used as geodetic control. These shared solutions will be available through the geodetic mark pages of the DDS.
The following products will not be included in the release of the modernized NSRS. However, plans to replace the services or mitigate gaps are described below.
- OPUS-Projects 5 will not be included in the modernized NSRS. Instead, NGS will focus on both developing an improved software suite for OPUS, known as OPUS 6, and minimizing any gap in service in which the current OPUS-Projects functionality is not available for users to organize, process, adjust, and submit high-accuracy GPS surveys for use by NGS in expanding and improving the NSRS. As noted above, OPUS-Share will remain available as a means to submit data to NGS.
- OPUS-Rapid Static (OPUS-RS) will not be included in the modernized NSRS. Instead, the modernized version of OPUS-Static, noted above, will be capable of processing multi-GNSS static data files that are shorter in duration (i.e., less than 2 hours).
Note: the current OPUS Projects 5 software will be supported until the modernized system is adopted, and a deadline for OPUS-Projects users to submit their surveys for publication will be announced with at least six months' notice.
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NGS.Feedback@noaa.gov.
Previously, NGS published a quarterly newsletter below to provide regular, brief updates about the modernization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). Most of the content in the newsletter focused on the new terrestrial reference frames and geopotential datum that will replace NAD 83 and
NAVD 88.