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In Memoriam: Professor Byron D. Tapley (1933–2026)

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Professor Byron Tapley (1932–2026), pioneer of space geodesy and GRACE Principal Investigator, passed away. He transformed Earth observation and satellite gravimetry. His scientific leadership, mentorship and legacy shaped generations worldwide.

Meet Jorge Martinez – Early Career Scientist

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Jorge Martinez is a Spanish aerospace engineer specializing in orbit determination and planetary science. He analyzes spacecraft data to reconstruct trajectories and study the internal structure and evolution of planets and moons. Currently working at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, he is preparing to pursue a PhD focused on advancing data processing methods and uncertainty estimation in space research.
NSL

Professor Vidal Ashkenazi OBE – Obituary

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Professor Vidal Ashkenazi OBE (1933–2026) was a pioneering geodesist and GPS researcher, founder of IESSG and NSL, whose work shaped satellite navigation, engineering surveying and Galileo.

Meet Yuting Cheng – Early Career Scientist

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Yuting is a postdoctoral researcher at the Royal Observatory of Belgium working on the ambitious ESA GENESIS project. Her research centers on a unique satellite co-locating all four space geodetic techniques, creating a unified reference point in space. Her work contributes to improving the precision and stability of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame, while exploring how these observation systems perform together under novel space conditions.

Meet Julia Pfeffer – Early Career Scientist

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Julia Pfeffer is a French research engineer specializing in monitoring the global water cycle through satellite geodetic measurements. Since 2020, she has led satellite gravimetry activities at Magellium and currently heads major ESA and CNES projects. With a PhD in Geophysics, she has contributed to GRACE solutions, developed key geodetic datasets, and authored over 25 scientific publications.

Annual Report 2025 of IAG to IUGG

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ACTIVITIES IAG Scientific Assembly 2025 IAG has held its quadrennial Scientific Assembly halfway through its four-year term 2023-2027. It took place in-person in Rimini (Italy) on September 1-5, 2025. Under the theme “Geodesy for a changing…

Meet Guilhem Chicot – Early Career Scientist

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Guilhem Chicot is a French early-career scientist in geophysics and a PhD student at the Royal Observatory of Belgium and KU Leuven. His research explores how geophysical fluids such as the atmosphere, oceans, and hydrosphere influence Earth’s rotation, with a focus on understanding the impacts of climate change on timekeeping and positioning systems.

Call for IAG proposals for the IUGG Grants Program 2024-2027

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The 2nd call for proposals for 2026–2027 is now open. Projects must involve at least two IUGG bodies, follow open science principles, and address scientific and societal challenges. Proposals via IAG must be submitted by 13 March 2026 for internal selection.

IAG News – New Ways to Stay Connected

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Since June 2025, IAG news is centrally published as blog posts on the new website. Updates are available via mailing lists, social media, RSS feed, and a monthly PDF Newsletter. The redesigned PDF Newsletter (since January 2026), now issued by the IAG Secretariat at BEV in Austria, summarizes key developments and is accessible online and via the Journal of Geodesy.

Meet Alfonso Caldiero | Early Career Scientist

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Alfonso Caldiero, an Italian researcher from near Naples, is close to completing his PhD in geodesy, focusing on spacecraft trajectories around small bodies such as asteroids and comets. His research develops methods to infer an asteroid’s internal mass distribution from gravity field measurements, contributing to the analysis of data from current and upcoming space missions.