Sensor · Spaceborne

LAGEOS Laser Retroreflector Array

Missions → LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) (Operational)

Passive cube-corner retroreflector array used for satellite laser ranging to LAGEOS.

Sensor

The LAGEOS Laser Retroreflector Array comprises 426 cube-corner reflectors. All but four are made from fused silica glass; the remaining four are germanium reflectors for infrared measurements in experimental studies of reflectivity and satellite orientation.^[1]

The array serves the high-precision laser-ranging purpose of LAGEOS, a passive satellite with no power, communications or moving parts. Satellite operations consist of generating orbit predictions so that stations can acquire and track it.^[2]

Satellite laser-ranging observations of LAGEOS are processed alongside observations of LAGEOS-2, Etalon-1 and Etalon-2 in seven-day arcs to generate Earth orientation parameters and station-position solutions.^[2]

Operator pricing

Pricing not publicly listed by operator

Supply chain position

carried by LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite)

Sources

[1]ILRS LAGEOS reflector informationagency doc2026-11-01
[2]LAGEOS, NASA Goddard Earth Sciencesagency doc2026-11-01
[3]WMO OSCAR LAGEOS-1 satellite recordagency doc2026-11-01
[4]Prelaunch Testing of the Laser Geodynamic Satellite, NASA Technical Paper 1062agency doc2026-11-01
[5]LAGEOS Design, NASA Goddard Earth Sciencesagency doc2026-11-01
[6]Prelaunch testing of the laser geodynamic satellite (LAGEOS), NTRS citation recordagency doc2026-11-01

Cite https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/lageos-laser-retroreflector-array Markdown twin → Field definitions → Suggest a correction →

How to cite this page

Plain text

LAGEOS Laser Retroreflector Array. EO-Atlas, SpectraWorks B.V. https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/lageos-laser-retroreflector-array (CC BY 4.0)

BibTeX

@misc{eoatlas:products:sensor:lageos-laser-retroreflector-array,
  title = {LAGEOS Laser Retroreflector Array},
  author = {{EO-Atlas}},
  publisher = {SpectraWorks B.V.},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
  url = {https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/lageos-laser-retroreflector-array}
}