A new version of the radar software toolkit (RST) has been released by the Data Analysis Working Group and can be found on the working group's github repository as version 4.1. Some major changes come with this new version including the deprecation of the '-new' flag in favor of using '-old' for data formats prior to 20060701 (*.dat, *.fit, etc.). The '-new' flag will no longer work and may break processing if used, so please update any external processing code.

In addition, RST 4.1 comes with major revisions to the gridding and mapping software. This means RST 4.1 will no longer produce the grdex and mapex files that are found on the VT-SuperDARN website. New files produced with the RST 4.1 code will be called grid2 and map2. These new files retain much of the same format as grdex and mapex files but are being separated to distinguish between the major revisions in the gridding and mapping software. RST 4.1 does maintain backwards compatibility so grdex and mapex files should be read and plotted with the current code.

Lastly, RST 4.1 introduces fitacf 3.0 as an experimental option of processing rawacf files into fitacf files. The default for this processing remains with fitacf 2.5, but users have the option to process what we at Virginia Tech are calling fitacf3 files with the command 'make_fit -fitacf-version 3.0'.

For now, grdex and mapex files will be produced to the end of 2017. Grid2 and map2 files will be produced starting with the beginning of 2017, but could be extended further back in time as necessary. Also, starting with the beginning of Dec. 2017, fitacf3 files will be produced in addition to fitacf (v2.5) files. Some of the web tools found on this website have been updated to plot this data. For the latest on what is available in the VT database, please refer to the data inventory page.

Prof. Mark Lester has passed on the exciting news that Dr. Suzie Imber from Leicester University has won a BBC-sponsored contest entitled 'Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?' to receive a reference from NASA Astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield to be accepted into the ESA astronaut training program. Suzie is a graduate of Leicester University where she was advised by Prof. Steve Milan. She has worked as a Research Scientist at NASA GSFC and is currently Associate Professor at Leicester. Mark has passed on the following notes:

"Suzie Imber, who has made several contributions to the SuperDARN group, was selected as one of 12 contestants from an original pool of applicants of well in the thousands and reached the last 3 of the competition. In the final episode of the series it was announced that Suzie had won the competition. Many congratulations to Suzie!" Also see

http://www2.le.ac.uk/news/blog/2017-archive/september/leicester-space-scientist-proves-she-has-what-it-takes-to-become-an-astronaut

Yoshi Miyoshi (Arase/ERG Project Scientist) announced on July 31, 2017 that a web page for Arase quick-look data is now available. Click on *Read More* for details.
The ERG (Arase) satellite has now been in full operation since March 24.

The Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG) satellite mission was launched on December 20, 2016 with an Epsilon rocket from the Uchinoura Space Center on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. The aim of the mission is to study Earth's radiation belts. Coordinated operations are planned with the SuperDARN radars. Shortly after launch the satellite was officially nicknamed "Arase", which is a Japanese word for a river raging with rough water and also the name of a river close to the Uchinoura Space Center.

Photo credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

A total solar eclipse will take place in 2017 on Monday, August 21. The path of totality will cross the continental U.S. from west to east as indicated in the map in about 90 minutes. All of the continental U.S. will experience at least a partial eclipse. Totality will last a maximum of 2 min 40 sec at any one place. The effects in the ionosphere will be observed by the SuperDARN radars located at Christmas Valley (Oregon) and Hays (Kansas) running special modes. This effort is part of a comprehensive project funded by the NSF CEDAR program to study the eclipse that is being lead by Prof. Greg Earle (Virginia Tech).
A set of maps showing the path of totality state-by-state can be found at
http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/maps.htm

The Royal Astronomical Society has bestowed the 2017 Group Achievement Award in geophysics, solar physics, and solar-terrestrial physics on the international SuperDARN collaboration. Announcement of the award was made at the Ordinary Meeting of the Society held on January 13, 2017. The award will be presented at the Society's National Astronomy meeting in Hull in July to Prof. Mark Lester, Chair of the SuperDARN PI Committee. The on-line announcement of the 2017 RAS awards, medals, and prizes is found at https://www.ras.org.uk/awards-and-grants/awards/2943-winners-of-the-2017-awards-medals-and-prizes-full-details
Click on 'Read More' to view the citation, which is also included as a permanent item in the list of SD documents.

Congratulations are due to all SuperDARN contributors through the years, from the early founders to the current postdocs and students.

Dr. Federica Marcucci has announced that the web site is open for the 2017 SuperDARN Workshop which will be held at Palazzo Chigi Zondadari in San Quirico D'Orcia (SI) - Italy, June 4-9, 2017. The meeting will be hosted by the the Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology (IAPS) of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). The link is http://www.iaps.inaf.it/sz/SD2017/

Abstract deadline: April 14, 2017
Early Registration deadline: April 28, 2017
Note: On the registration form in the field for 'Vat Number' non-EU members enter 'N/A'

Photo: A panorama of the walled town of San Quirico D'Orcia