NASA NTRS · 20070035064
Absolute Distance Measurement with the MSTAR Sensor
Abstract
The MSTAR sensor (Modulation Sideband Technology for Absolute Ranging) is a new system for measuring absolute distance, capable of resolving the integer cycle ambiguity of standard interferometers, and making it possible to measure distance with sub-nanometer accuracy. The sensor uses a single laser in conjunction with fast phase modulators and low frequency detectors. We describe the design of the system - the principle of operation, the metrology source, beamlaunching optics, and signal processing - and show results for target distances up to 1 meter. We then demonstrate how the system can be scaled to kilometer-scale distances.
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Lay, Oliver P., Dubovitsky, Serge, Peters, Robert, Burger, Johan, Ahn, Seh-Won, Steier, William H., Fetterman, Harrold R., Chang, Yian. 2003-08-03. Absolute Distance Measurement with the MSTAR Sensor. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20070035064
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