# LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite)
*missions*

## Specifications
- **operator**: nasa
- **actual launch**: 1976-05-04
- **planned decommission**: 2052-05-01
- **current status**: operational
- **orbit type**: Inclined non-sun-synchronous medium Earth orbit, about 5900 km altitude
- **tasking supported**: false
- **current geographic priority**: Global geodesy and reference-frame support
- **launch vehicle**: lockheed-delta
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: nasa
- **attributes**: {"operator":"nasa","actual_launch":"1976-05-04","planned_decommission":"2052-05-01","current_status":"operational","orbit_type":"Inclined non-sun-synchronous medium Earth orbit, about 5900 km altitude","tasking_supported":false,"current_geographic_priority":"Global geodesy and reference-frame support","launch_vehicle":"lockheed-delta"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) is a passive geodetic satellite operated by NASA, launched on 4 May 1976 into an inclined non-sun-synchronous medium Earth orbit at approximately 5,900 km altitude. The satellite carries no active instruments; it consists of a dense brass sphere studded with 426 cube-corner retroreflectors. Ground-based laser ranging stations of the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) fire short laser pulses at LAGEOS-1 and measure the round-trip travel time to derive precise range observables. These measurements support determination of Earth's rotation parameters, polar motion, crustal deformation, and the international terrestrial reference frame. With a predicted operational life extending to approximately 2052, LAGEOS-1 remains an active component of the global space geodesy network. [^ilrs-lageos-general][^ilrs-lageos-reflector][^ceos-lageos-1][^wmo-lageos-1][^nasa-slr-technique]

## Compositional position
- LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) --[mission_payloads]--> lageos-laser-retroreflector-array (products)
- LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) --[related-topic]--> space-geodesy (topics)

## Sources
- [ilrs-lageos-general] | ILRS LAGEOS-1 and -2 mission page | https://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions/satellite_missions/current_missions/lag1_general.html | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [ilrs-lageos-reflector] | ILRS LAGEOS reflector information | https://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions/satellite_missions/current_missions/lag1_reflector.html | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [ceos-lageos-1] | CEOS LAGEOS-1 mission summary | https://database.eohandbook.com/database/missionsummary.aspx?missionID=201 | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-14
- [wmo-lageos-1] | WMO OSCAR LAGEOS-1 satellite record | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/lageos_1 | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14
- [nasa-slr-technique] | NASA Space Geodesy Project satellite laser ranging technique page | https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/geo/networks/sgp/techniques/slr | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/lageos-1
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)