Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter
Objectives:
- Determination of a Global, Geodetically Referenced 0.2 degree x 0.2
degree Topographic Grid of Mars to a Vertical Accuracy Better than 30 m
Suitable for Addressing Problems in Geology, Geophysics and Atmospheric
Circulation
- Acquisition of Globally Distributed Topographic Profiles of the Martian
Surface on Short Baselines (~100 km) with a vertical precision of ~ 2 meters
Suitable for Addressing a Range of Problems in Local and Regional Scale
Geology
- Determination of a Global 0.2 degree x 0.2 degree Grid of 1.06 micron
Surface Reflectivity of Mars to a Precision of ~10% Suitable for Contributing
to Analysis of Global Surface Mineralogy and Polar Cap Variation
Instrumentation:
A diode-pumped 1.06 micron Nd:YAG laser transmitter and a 50 cm diameter
parabolic receiver provides 160 meter diameter horizontal resolution and
2 meter vertical precision at 10 pulses per second.
Measurements:
- Altimetry: Measures Spacecraft to Surface Distance
- Resolution:
- Vertical: 2 m (local) 30 m (global)
- Horizontal: 160 m
- Laser Transmitter:
- Diode Pumped, Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser
- Pulse Energy: 40-45 mJ
- Repetition Rate: 10 pulses/sec continuous
- Beam Diameter: 1cm
- Beam Divergence: 0.45 mrad
- Antenna Receiver: 50 cm Parabolic Antenna
- Si APD Detector
- 4 Electronic Filters (20, 60, 180 and 540 ns)
- Electronics:
- 80C86 microprocessor, 54 HC Family Logic
- Data Rate: 618 bits/sec
Science Team
D. Smith, NASA/GSFC - Principal Investigator
Co-Investigators:
H. Frey - NASA/GSFC
J. Head - Brown U
J. Garvin - NASA/GSFC
D. Muhleman - Caltech
G. Pettengill - MIT
R. Phillips - SMU
S. Solomon - MIT
M. Zuber - NASA/GSFC
H. Zwally - NASA/GSFC