Track Our Progress
— BETA PUBLIC FEEDBACK PERIOD COMPLETE. — This datum will provide definitive geodetic control for orthometric height, deflection of the vertical, surface acceleration of gravity, geoid undulation, and dynamic height.
— BETA PUBLIC FEEDBACK PERIOD COMPLETE. — These four reference frames will provide definitive geodetic control for latitude, longitude, and ellipsoid height in the United States. They are defined by transformations from the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2020 (ITRF2020) using Euler Pole Parameters that were modeled for each tectonic plate.
— BETA PUBLIC FEEDBACK PERIOD COMPLETE. — This system of map projections is how most surveyors will use and reference the NSRS. Also, many statewide Geographic Information System GIS managers may also adopt the new statewide zones.
— INITIAL VERSION RELEASED TO BETA. — This flagship product of NGS has been substantially expanded to support the modernized NSRS. Key features recently added include support for SPCS2022, expanded NADCON and VERTCON capabilities (allowing users to transform data from historic NSRS datums to modernized datums), NAPGD2022 geopotential calculations, and conversion between ellipsoid and orthometric heights. Additional functionality being added includes support for 14-parameter Helmert transformations between multiple international global reference frames and access to modeled coordinate changes over time at geodetic control marks.
— RELEASED TO BETA FOR FEEDBACK. — The Data Delivery System provides an updated version of the “NGS Map” and “Looking for Benchmarks” pages. The new landing page will allow you to access modernized informational pages about geodetic stations, such as Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORSs), and geodetic marks (see below).
— RELEASED TO BETA FOR FEEDBACK. — Geodetic station pages offer an updated version of the current NOAA CORS Network (NCN) station pages. Geodetic mark pages have replaced legacy datasheets by providing information about geodetic control marks in dynamic, interactive web pages with an enhanced user interface. The updated coordinates (reference epoch coordinates) for marks and updated CORS coordinate functions (CCFs) for CORSs in the modernized NSRS are available through these pages.
— RELEASED TO BETA FOR FEEDBACK. — OPUS-Static operates with the modernized NSRS, including the support of multi-GNSS data. Solutions are provided in any of the four Terrestrial Reference Frames of 2022 and in ITRF2020, and include SPCS2022 coordinates, where available, and orthometric heights referenced to NAPGD2022, where available. OPUS Share remains available, but shared solutions must not be used as geodetic control. These shared solutions are available through the geodetic mark pages of the Data Delivery System (DDS).
The following products are not included in the release of the modernized NSRS. However, plans to replace the services or mitigate gaps are described below.
- OPUS-Projects 5 is not included in the modernized NSRS. NGS is developing OPUS 6 to replace OPUS-Projects 5 for organizing, processing, adjusting, and submitting high-accuracy GPS surveys. NGS is also working to minimize any gap in those services before OPUS 6 becomes available. OPUS-Share remains available as a means of submitting individual solutions to NGS.
- OPUS-Rapid Static (OPUS-RS) is not included in the modernized NSRS. Instead, the modernized version of OPUS-Static, noted above, can process multi-GNSS static data files as short as 1 hour.
Submission Deadline Notice: All OPUS Projects and differential leveling submissions for creating or updating geodetic control within the current NSRS must be submitted to NGS by January 13, 2027. More information is available on this New Datums FAQ page.
To stay informed about these releases, please subscribe to NGS News. If you have questions, please email NGS.Feedback@noaa.gov.
NSRS Modernization News
NGS used to publish a quarterly update about the modernization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) but no longer does. 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.
Key Milestones
2017: Blueprint Documents (revised in 2021) - Documents describing the design and operation of the modernized NSRS.
2021: GVX file format for RTNs - GVX file format in collaboration with industry experts will allow OPUS to ingest and use data from real time networks.
2022: Deprecation of the US survey foot - Retired to align with international standards and to decrease errors in reference to the modernized NSRS.
2024: GRAV-D - Airborne data collection program for the U.S. and all territories for use in developing GEOID2022.
2024: LASER - A software suite capable of performing least-squares adjustments within OPUS and other NGS projects critical to NSRS modernization.
2024: SPROCCET - Software capable of projecting geodetic information through time, that will be used in both the modernized version of OPUS and in REC adjustments.
2024: GPS on Benchmarks - Crowdsourced data collection campaign to collect GPS data on survey marks to enable conversions from current vertical datums to the NAPGD2022 heights. These heights will be integrated into the updated NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT).
2026: State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS2022) - Provides coordinates in map projections based on the four newest 2022 terrestrial reference frames of the modernized NSRS.
2026: GEOID2022 - A gravimetric geoid model which defines the surface of zero elevation in the modernized NSRS.
2026: Euler Pole Parameters (EPP2022) - model of the rotation of the tectonic plates to account for horizontal changes over time, used to define the relationship between the four plate-fixed terrestrial reference frames of the modernized NSRS and the ITRF2020.
2026: Multi-Year CORS Solution v3 (MYCS3) - When the Multi-Year CORS Solution 3 (MYCS3) is complete, ITRF2020 coordinate functions will exist for every station in the NOAA CORS Network (NCN).
2026: MPAGES - Software for processing multi-GNSS data.
2026: Updated OPUS-S - A modernized version of the online positioning tool used to access the modernized NSRS to provide coordinates from a single GNSS occupation of a mark.
2026: Updated OPUS-Projects - A modernized version of the online positioning tool used to process a network of GPS occupations, and estimate coordinates within the modernized NSRS.
2026: Updated NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT) - The updated NCAT will support coordinate conversions and transformations into the modernized NSRS reference frames.
2026: Updated Vertical Datum Transformation (VDatum) - The updated VDatum will enable users to vertically transform geospatial data among a variety of tidal, orthometric, and ellipsoidal datums including the modernized NSRS reference frames.
2026: Geometric Reference Epoch Coordinates - Geometric coordinates at over 120,000 survey marks estimated in ITRF2020, as well as in all four frames of the modernized NSRS, at epoch 2020.00.
2026: Orthometric Reference Epoch Coordinates - Orthometric heights at nearly 1,000,000 survey marks estimated in NAPGD2020 at epoch 2020.00.
2027: New Datums presented to FGCS for approval
Many of the milestones that have been accomplished have been presented and recorded in the NGS Webinar Series. The 2025 NGS webinar series will host webinars on upcoming milestones as the products and tools are made available to the public for testing.
2027: Planned transition to the modernized NSRS as the official reference system for the United States
