Space Geodesy Satellite Laser Ranging System Requirements Document Public Version
This document gives the Level 3 and Level 4 requirements for SGSLR.
operational ranging systems↗
Engineering topics
McGarry, Jan
Publications and source records attributed to McGarry, Jan.
NGSLR Safety Handbook
NASA's Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging (NGSLR) station is the prototype for NASA's Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) systems which will be deployed around the world in the coming decade. The NGSLR system will be an autonomous, photon-counting SLR station with an expected absolute range accuracy of better than one centimeter and a normal point (time-averaged) range precision better than one millimeter. The system provides continuous (weather permitting), 24 hour tracking coverage to an existing constellation of approximately two dozen artificial satellites equipped with passive retroreflector arrays, using pulsed, 532 nm, class IV laser systems. Current details on the approved laser systems can be found in the Appendix 1 of this document. This safety plan addresses the potential hazards to emitted laser radiation, which can occur both inside and outside the shelter. Hazards within the shelter are mitigated through posted warning signs, activated warning lights, procedural controls, personal protective equipment (PPE), laser curtains, beam blocking systems, interlock controls, pre-configured laser control settings, and other controls discussed in this document. Since the NGSLR is a satellite tracking system, laser hazards exist outside the shelter to personnel on the shelter roof and to passing aircraft. Potential exposure to personnel outside the system is mitigated through the use of posted warning signs, access control, procedural controls, a stairwell interlock, beam attenuation/blocking devices, and a radar based aircraft detection system.
satellite laser ranging↗
NGSLR System Overview
This is a high level overview of the NGSLR system, including a description of the hardware, software, operations and system specifications.
SGP Network↗
NGSLR Operations Manual: Operating the Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging System
This is a description of how to operate NGSLR for both SLR operations and LRO operations.
SGP Network↗
NGSLR's Measurement of the Retro-Reflector Array Response of Various LEO to GNSS Satellites
"NASA's Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging System (NGSLR) has successfully demonstrated daylight and nighttime tracking this year to s atellites from LEO to GNSS orbits, using a 7-8 arcsecond beam divergence, a 43% QE Hamamatsu MCP-PMT with single photon detection, a narrow field of view (11 arcseconds), and a 1 mJ per pulse 2kHz repetition rate laser. We have compared the actual return rates we are getting against the theoretical link calculations, using the known system confi guration parameters, an estimate of the sky transmission using locall y measured visibility, and signal processing to extract the signal from the background noise. We can achieve good agreement between theory and measurement in most passes by using an estimated pOinting error. We will s~.()w the results of this comparison along with our conclusio ns."
McGarry, Jan↗
On Orbit Receiver Performance Assessment of the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on ICESAT
The GLAS instrument on the NASA's ICESat mission has provided over a billion measurements of the Earth surface elevation and atmosphere backscattering at both 532 and 1064-nm wavelengths. The receiver performance has stayed nearly unchanged since ICESat launch in January 2003. The altimeter receiver has achieved a less than 3-cm ranging accuracy when excluding the effects of the laser beam pointing angle determination uncertainties. The receiver can also detect surface echoes through clouds of one-way transmission as low as 5%. The 532-nm atmosphere backscattering receiver can measure aerosol and clouds with cross section as low as 1e-7/m.sr with a 1 second integration time and molecular backscattering from upper atmosphere with a 60 second integration time. The 1064-nm atmosphere backscattering receiver can measure aerosol and clouds with a cross section as low as 4e-6/m.sr. This paper gives a detailed assessment of the GLAS receiver performance based on the in-orbit calibration tests.
Sun, Xiaoli↗
Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on the ICESat Mission: Science Measurement Performance since Launch
The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System is the primary space lidar on NASA's ICESat mission. Since launch in January 2003 GLAS has produced about 544 million measurements of the Earth's surface and atmosphere. It has made global measurements of the Earth's icesheets, land topography and atmosphere with unprecedented vertical resolution and accuracy. GLAS was first activated for science measurements in February 2003. Since then its operation and performance has confirmed many pre-launch expectations and exceed a few of the most optimistic expectations in vertical resolution. However GLAS also suffered an unexpected failure of its first laser, and the GLAS measurements have yielded some surprises in other areas. The talk will give a post launch assessment of the science measurement performance of the GLAS instrument, and compare the science measurements and engineering operation to pre-launch expectations. It also will address some of what has been learned from the GLAS operations and data, which may benefit future space lidar.
Sun, Xiao-Li↗
Reconfigurable Computing As an Enabling Technology for Single-Photon-Counting Laser Altimetry
Single-photon-counting laser altimetry is a new measurement technique offering significant advantages in vertical resolution, reducing instrument size, mass, and power, and reducing laser complexity as compared to analog or threshold detection laser altimetry techniques. However, these improvements come at the cost of a dramatically increased requirement for onboard real-time data processing. Reconfigurable computing has been shown to offer considerable performance advantages in performing this processing. These advantages have been demonstrated on the Multi-KiloHertz Micro-Laser Altimeter (MMLA), an aircraft based single-photon-counting laser altimeter developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center with several potential spaceflight applications. This paper describes how reconfigurable computing technology was employed to perform MMLA data processing in real-time under realistic operating constraints, along with the results observed. This paper also expands on these prior results to identify concepts for using reconfigurable computing to enable spaceflight single-photon-counting laser altimeter instruments.
Powell, Wesley↗
NASA's Photon-Counting SLR2000 Satellite Laser Ranging System: Progress and Applications
NASA's new unmanned SLR2000 system is designed to track, with millimeter precision and using single photon returns, a constellation of roughly 24 retroreflector-equipped satellites, which range in altitude from about 300 km to 20,000 km. Totally autonomous operation and a common engineering configuration are expected to greatly reduce station operations costs relative to NASA's current manned systems. The system has also been designed with a goal of significantly lowering replication costs. All of the prototype components and subsystems have been completed and tested and have substantially met the original specifications. The prototype system is presently undergoing final integration and testing in a dedicated shelter with an azimuth tracking dome synchronized to the optical tracking mount. The facility also features a number of security features such as security cameras and sensors designed to detect power or thermal control problems or entry by unauthorized personnel. Field tests are in progress. The present paper provides an overview of the various subsystems and test results to date. The meteorological subsystem, which has operated successfully in the field for almost three years, consists of several sensors which measure: (1) pressure, temperature, and relative humidity; (2) wind speed and direction; (3) ground visibility and precipitation; and (4) local cloud cover as a function of station azimuth and elevation (day and night). A "pseudo-operator" software program interprets the sensor readings and modifies satellite tracking priorities based on local meteorological conditions.
Degnan, John J.↗