On 12 Dec 2016, Otsubo visited the Zimmerwald Optical Ground Station to see its SLR, GNSS and space debris tracking facility, and later visited the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) where he presented “SLR station network: for the near future and the far future” in AIUB Special Seminar. We appreciate the opportunity and the warm hospitality.

On 23 Nov 2016, Otsubo visited Technische Universität München (TUM) and presented “Satellite Laser Ranging Station Network: Simulations and Prospects for the Future” at Kolloquium Satellitennavigation (website).  We thank TUM colleagues for this opportunity and the good discussions.

This spring our paper “Effective expansion of satellite laser ranging network to improve global geodetic parameters” was published in Earth, Planets and Space.

Today, 14 Nov 2016, the paper (Otsubo et al. 2016) is picked up on the home page of this journal → Earth, Planets and Space.

先週，奥州市文化会館にて開催された日本測地学会第126回講演会に参加してきました．口頭発表を1件行いました．

服部晃久，大坪俊通 「測地衛星の表面材質と太陽輻射圧係数」

国立天文台水沢キャンパスの見学や，江刺地球潮汐観測施設の見学もさせていただきました．多くの方々にお世話になりました．ありがとうございます．

第20回国際レーザ測距ワークショップ出席のため，ポツダムに来ています．今のところ天気には恵まれていないですが美しい街です．

口頭発表2件：

• Otsubo, A. Hattori, M. Kobayashi, M. Wilkinson, J. Rodriguez, Detection of various SLR systematic errors for mm accuracy, 20th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, 2016.10.12.
• Otsubo, K. Matsuo, K. Yamamoto, Y. Aoyama, T. Hobiger, T. Kubo-oka, M. Sekido, Satellite laser ranging network: Where should a new station be placed?, 20th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, 2016.10.10.

ポスター発表1件：

• Otsubo, M. Wilkinson, C. Potter, T. Shoobridge, J. Griffiths, Time series of SpinSat return intensity: How long can BK7 reflectors survive in space?, 20th International Workshop on Laser Ranging, 2016.10.11.

と，そのほか共著者に入っているものが4件予定されています．

さらに，Clinic Session （少人数ローテーションセッション）のブース担当，1つのセッションの座長，1つの併設会議の座長を行うことになっており，忙しい1週間になりそうです．

なお，この会議の第18回は日本の富士吉田市で行われました．ウェブサイトは本研究室にまだ残っています → http://geo.science.hit-u.ac.jp/lw18/

8月19日（金）は University College London (UCL) の Ziebart 研究室を訪問し，午後には本学での SLR 関係の研究を紹介してきました．

UCL キャンパス内には Japan Garden という区画があり，そこにあった碑がこちら．近代日本を創った方々が 1863-1865 ころ集中的に UCL に滞在したようで，一橋大学の森有礼さんの名も． Photo: Prof M Ziebart

The Japanese Geodetic Satellite “Ajisai” was launched on 13 August 1986 in JST (12 August in UTC), and it has just reached 30 years old.  It has revolved around the Earth for more than 130000 times, and it is still being used.

JAXA has released the anniversary article: http://fanfun.jaxa.jp/topics/detail/8240.html (in Japanese only)

This has been one of the most frequently tracked satellites among a number of laser ranging targets.  Just 6 hours before it became 30, at 14:03 UTC, 12 Aug 2016, the satellite was tracked by the UK Herstmonceux laser ranging system.

This satellite was designed and manufactured nicely.  It has significantly contributed to geodesy, mapping, and space engineering, and it will be so in the future.

Video & Photo: CP & TO.

Hello from UK.  Today’s seminar was on corner cube reflectors.  Simple device, but lots of potential research topics about it.  Photo: LB.

イギリスよりこんにちは．今日のセミナーにもみなさん集まってくださいました．今日のテーマはコーナーキューブリフレクタ，簡単なようで奥が深い．撮影 LB.