NASA Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory

The TLRS-4 system was in storage at GGAO until 2005. During 2005 and early 2006, the system was upgraded and performed co-location tests with MOBLAS-7. In early 2006, staff packed the system and in March TLRS-4 was shipped to its new location at Mt. Haleakala, HI, providing a highly desirable geographically located SLR site in the Pacific. TLRS-4 will replace the HOLLAS system which was decommissioned and removed from Haleakala in June 2004.

GUTS 02.2002

The GUTS system is show in its current location at the in Tanegashima Island, Japan .

Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. (HTSI) integrated the Global High Accuracy Trajectory System (GUTS) SLR system for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA, formerly NASDA) in the STALAS facility located at GGAO in 2002 prior to shipment to and installation on Tanegashima Island in Japan. HTSI, prime contractor for the NASA SLR network, manufactured the SLR control system, electronics, optics, and aircraft warning radar system; produced and implemented the control, scheduling, and data processing software; integrated the laser and 1-meter telescope; and prepared the system for co-location with the NASA MOBLAS-7 system. The GUTS SLR system has the capability to range to satellites in orbits ranging from low Earth to geosynchronous. In addition, special modifications to the HTSI control software allows the system to be operated remotely from the JAXA facility in Tsukuba via a low bandwidth data link as well as by a local operator at Tanegashima. The GUTS was shipped to Tanegashima in 2004 with operations commencing there in September 2004.

MOBLAS-6 05.2000

MLRO 01.2000

The MLRO laser telescope is shown ranging from the STALAS building at GGAO. The MOBLAS-7 system is to the right of this building.

The Matera Laser Ranging Observatory (MLRO) project is an international cooperative effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to advance the technology of satellite laser ranging. The MLRO technology development is supported by an ASI contract; NASA provided shared technology and the use of the GGAO facility for the final testing of the system prior to shipment to Italy. The MLRO system was integrated and tested at the STALAS building located at the GGAO. The use of this site has allowed the Italian system's performance to be benchmarked against MOBLAS-7, the current world standard for SLR. In addition to the overall performance testing, this opportunity has allowed the new technology to be proven prior to acceptance and integration into future NASA systems. The MLRO system was shipped to its home in Matera Italy in late 1999.

SALRO 02.1992

The SALRO system is shown ranging from its current location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian Laser Ranging Observatory (SALRO) was fabricated in Australia by EOS Pty Ltd. under contract to the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Following a system review in January 1989, initial testing at the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station, and a pre-ship review in April 1991, the SALRO was shipped in late 1991 to GGAO for co-location tests with MOBLAS-7.

SALRO arrived at the GGAO in February 1992. However, a series of hardware problems including recoating of the telescope optics and a decision to use a SPAD as the primary detector, delayed the start of co-location testing until late June 1994.

The co-location tests, completed in March 1995, confirmed almost all of the SALRO performance specifications. With the SPAD, and with pre-processing software not optimized for the SPAD, the SALRO accuracy in ranging to LAGEOS satellites was greater than one centimeter. However, it was agreed that the system capability was presently comparable with all of the current scientific needs and that performance would continue to improve once the system was optimized.

SALRO arrived at its permanent site in June 1995. The SALRO station is approximately 40 kilometers from Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The KACST operating crew are housed in a separate building next to the SALRO trailer.