This month in geodesy has been rich with advances, events, and community movement across reference frames, Earth observation, education, and infrastructure. Here’s a roundup of the most notable stories.
1. IAG Scientific Assembly 2025: “Geodesy for a Changing Environment”
Preparations and programming for the IAG Scientific Assembly, to be held 1–5 September 2025 in Rimini, Italy, have been firmly set.
With 300 oral and 388 poster contributions accepted, the conference promises a broad cross-section of geodesy research.
New this year: integration of GGOS Days into the assembly program, with dedicated GGOS symposia and a GGOS Governing Board meeting embedded during the event.
The theme, “Geodesy for a Changing Environment”, underscores the field’s central role in monitoring climate, sea-level, mass redistribution, and more.
IAG has also expanded travel funding: in addition to existing support, all early-career scientists (ECS) — including those in high-income countries — are eligible for a special allocation.
2. Virtual Education & Summer Schools
The 2025 Geodesy Virtual School, held in early June, centered on the terrestrial reference frame and Earth system monitoring, with lectures delivered in both English and Spanish (with subtitles).
The program reached a global audience and remains freely accessible via recorded videos.
Meanwhile, the 11th Nordic Geodetic Commission Summer School, “From Struve to Space,” convened in Tartu, Estonia (Aug 25–29, 2025), bringing 61 participants from 13 countries to blend geodesy history, modern GNSS methods, and machine learning applications.
Looking ahead, the 16th SIRGAS School on VLBI and SLR data processing is being planned for October 27–November 1, 2025, in San Juan, Argentina.
3. Satellite, Clocks & Gravity Innovations
In orbit, the NISAR mission—launched via ISRO’s GSLV in July 2025—has begun its 90-day commissioning phase.
As of late summer, the satellite successfully deployed its primary radar reflectors and has started returning first SAR images.
NISAR’s radar capabilities are expected to make significant contributions to surface change detection, cryosphere monitoring, and geodesy at large scales.
On the precision frontier, researchers are increasingly focusing on chronometric geodesy—using ultra-precise atomic clocks to infer gravitational potential differences. A recent article describes how the ESA’s ACES mission, now installed on the International Space Station, could be leveraged to tighten links between orbiting clocks and ground-based timekeepers, refining elevation and gravity models globally.
Across theoretical work, a new review on “General Relativity and Geodesy” emphasizes that relativistic corrections are no longer optional: they become essential as measurement precision improves. The authors also explore the promise and challenges of clock-based gravity field recovery from space.
4. Geodetic Infrastructure Updates
From the ground side, NASA’s GGAO (Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory) has made progress toward its SGSLR (Satellite Geodesy via Satellite Laser Ranging) station in Ny-Ålesund, Norway. Recently, GGAO acquired and tracked the retro-reflector satellite STARLETTE, marking a milestone ahead of full operational status by late 2025.
And in the U.S., the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) continues rolling out updated height reference products. Its NAPGD2022 (North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022) is now in its beta release phase, allowing users to test and provide feedback.
5. Research Spotlight & Earth Processes
A team from the University of Texas and University of Chile announced discovery of a mechanism by which certain earthquake processes may amplify rupture magnitude—an insight that has implications for geodynamic modeling and hazard assessment.
Meanwhile, geodesy continues to underline its behind-the-scenes importance. The “Lost Without Geodesy” cartoon, recently published by the Geodesy community, humorously captures how much modern infrastructure—from GNSS to early warning systems—depends on the invisible scaffolding of geodesy.
Looking Forward
As we move deeper into 2025, the geodesy community has plenty to anticipate: real-world applications from NISAR, lively face-to-face exchanges at IAG2025, further releases of global datum products, and continued maturation of time-based geodetic methods. Stay tuned to GeodesyHub for commentary, deep dives, and community voices on these developments.
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This roundup is based on public announcements, blogs, and recent literature. Please share additional news or feedback you’d like featured in the next edition.