Subject: [SLR-Mail] No. 1979: SGF Herstmonceux From: Graham Appleby > ******************************************************************************** SLR Electronic Mail 2011-03-30 14:34:00 UTC Message No. 1979 ******************************************************************************** Author: Graham Appleby Subject: SGF Herstmonceux Dear Colleagues, I am sure you will want to join us in wishing SGF Operations Manager Philip= Gibbs all the best for the future as he opts for early retirement at the b= eginning of April after a long spell of dedicated work at the SGF, Herstmon= ceux. Philip joined the-then SLR section of the Royal Greenwich Observatory= =92s Time Department in 1989, having worked in other RGO departments includ= ing the Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle project on LaPalma. Philip=92s mathematical, astronomical and software-engineering skills were = of immediate and ongoing value to the SGF, as he re-designed the real-time = operating systems that would enable rapid switching between passes. At that= time, the primary SLR targets LAGEOS and Starlette were being joined by th= e Etalons and the launch of ERS-1 was eagerly awaited. It was a time of rap= id change for the whole SLR network, as it got into the business of support= ing orbit determination for Earth-observing missions and came to terms with= the need for rapid delivery of quality-checked laser range measurements. P= hilip was instrumental in automating many of theprocesses that ensured that= SGF could take part in and maintain a major role in this enterprise. It is no overstatement to say that the upgrade to kHz ranging at Herstmonce= ux could not have been achieved anything like as rapidly, if at all, were i= t not for Philip=92s quick assessment and solution of a multitude of softwa= re problems such as how to handle in real-time several-hundred laser pulses= in flight simultaneously. His software design gives the lone SGF observer = on the telescope platform the ability to switch rapidly between the two las= ers, the 14Hz YAG and the 2kHz VAN, and his more recent work enables us to = play a continuing role in supporting one-way ranging to NASA=92s Lunar Reco= nnaissance Orbiter. Among his work in many other projects, he also invented= a neat way to improve greatly our ranging support for both satellites of t= he formation-flying TanDEM-X and TerraSAR-X surface-mapping satellites. Philip=92s rapid problem-solving, extremely productive SLR-observing and ov= erall =91bright ideas=92 are going to be greatly missed by the SGF team, as= will lunchtime discussions including, among other things, the states of th= e national cricket and football teams, and cats and dogs. We all wish him = a long and cold-nights-in-the-dome-free retirement. Graham Appleby, SGF Herstmonceux = --=20=0D=0AThis message (and any attachments) is for the recipient only= NERC=0D=0Ais subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the c= ontents=0D=0Aof this email and any reply you make may be disclosed by N= ERC unless=0D=0Ait is exempt from release under the Act. Any material s= upplied to=0D=0ANERC may be stored in an electronic records management = system.= --_000_C9B8A1AB71DCgappnercacuk_ Content-Type: text/html; charset=”Windows-1252” Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Author: Graham Appleby

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am sure you will want to join us in wishing SGF Operations Manager Philip Gibbs all the best for the future as = he opts for early retirement at the beginning of April after a long spell of dedica= ted work at the SGF, Herstmonceux. Philip joined the-then SLR section of the Ro= yal Greenwich Observatory=92s Time Department in 1989, having worked in other R= GO departments including the Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle project on La= Palma.

Phi= lip=92s mathematical, astronomical and software-engineering skills were of immediate and ongoing value to the SGF,= as he re-designed the real-time operating systems that would enable rapid switching between passes. At that time, the primary SLR targets LAGEOS and Starlette were being joined by the Etalons and the launch of ERS-1 was eage= rly awaited. It was a time of rapid change for the whole SLR network, as it got= into the business of supporting orbit determination for Earth-observing missions and came to terms with the need for rapid delivery of quality-chec= ked laser range measurements. Philip was instrumental in automating many of the= processes that ensured that SGF could take part in and maintain a major rol= e in this enterprise.

It is no overstatement to say that the upgrade to kHz ranging at Herstmonceux could not have been achieved anythin= g like as rapidly, if at all, were it not for Philip=92s quick assessment and solution of a multitude of software problems such as how to handle in real-= time several-hundred laser pulses in flight simultaneously. His software design = gives the lone SGF observer on the telescope platform the ability to switch rapidly between the two lasers, the 14Hz YAG and the 2kHz VAN, and his more recent work enables us to play a continuing role in supporting one-way ranging to NASA=92s Luna= r Reconnaissance Orbiter. Among his work in many other projects, he also inve= nted a neat way to improve greatly our ranging support for both satellites = of the formation-flying TanDEM-X and TerraSAR-X surface-mapping satellites.

Philip=92s rapid problem-solving, extremely productive SLR-observing and overall =91bright i= deas=92 are going to be greatly missed by the SGF team, as will lunchtime discussio= ns including, among other things, the states of the national cricket and fo= otball teams, and cats and dogs.  We all wish him a long and cold-nights-in-the-dome-free retirement.

<= font class=3D”Apple-style-span” face=3D”Cambria” size=3D”4”>Graham Appleby, SGF Herstmonce= ux
=
--=20=0D=0A
This message (and any attachments) is for the re= cipient only. NERC=0D=0A
is subject to the Freedom of Information = Act 2000 and the contents=0D=0A
of this email and any reply you ma= ke may be disclosed by NERC unless=0D=0A
it is exempt from release= under the Act. Any material supplied to=0D=0A
NERC may be stored = in an electronic records management system.= --_000_C9B8A1AB71DCgappnercacuk_-- From: ”Appleby, Graham M.” ********************************************************************************