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Satellite Laser Ranging
Synopsis of the Belmont SLR Workshop
The Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics
convened a two-day workshop in early February 1994 to assess the
contribution of Satellite
Laser Ranging (SLR) to meeting current scientific requirements
and evaluate opportunities for improved cost effectiveness. The meeting
took place at the Belmont Conference Center in Elkridge, Maryland
and was attended by researchers in the field of Space Geodesy from
Goddard Space Flight Center, the Center for Space Research of the
University of Texas at Austin, the University of Maryland, the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
AlliedSignal Technical Services Corporation, and Hughes STX Corporation.
After a comprehensive review of the latest analysis and instrument
developments, the group formed the following conclusions:
- SLR is a proven geodetic technique with significant potential
for substantive contributions to studies
of the Earth/Atmosphere/Oceans system.
- SLR's ability to measure the temporal variations in the Earth's
gravity field and to monitor motion of the SLR station network
with respect to the geocenter, together with the capability to
monitor vertical motion in an absolute system, makes it unique
for modeling and evaluating long-term climate change by:
- SLR is the most accurate technique currently available to determine
the geocentric position of an Earth satellite, allowing for the
precise calibration of radar altimeters and separation of long-term
instrumentation drift from secular changes in ocean
topography.
- SLR has proven to be a cost-effective means of providing failsafe
redundancy to spaceborne radiometric tracking systems such as
GPS, PRARE, and DORIS.
- SLR provides a unique capability for the experimental verification
of special predictions of the Theory
of General Relativity.
- The cost effectiveness of SLR
operations will improve through increased standardization,
configuration control, and automation.
Based on these conclusions, the Workshop recommends:
- NASA should maintain a set of SLR stations which will contribute
to the global fiducial SLR network.
- Global SLR operations should make a transition to fixed fiducial
stations with densified local measurements assumed by GPS
and other techniques.
- NASA should vigorously pursue the development of SLR 2000,
a fully automated, standardized, stand-alone, low-cost, subcentimeter
SLR system.
Responsible Government Official:
NASA's
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