Laser radar instrument for the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission

Timothy D. Cole; Mark T. Boies; Ashruf S. El-Dinary

doi:10.1117/12.243547

26 June 1996 Laser radar instrument for the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission

Timothy D. Cole, Mark T. Boies, Ashruf S. El-Dinary

Proceedings Volume 2748, Laser Radar Technology and Applications; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.243547
Event: Aerospace/Defense Sensing and Controls, 1996, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

In 1999 after a 3-year transit, the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft will enter a low-altitude (approximately 50 km) orbit about the asteroid, 433 Eros. Five instruments, including a laser radar, will operate continuously during the one-year orbit at Eros. The NEAR laser rangefinder (NLR), developed at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), is a robust rangefinder and the first spaceborne altimeter to have continuous inflight calibration capability. A bistatic configuration, the NLR uses a diode- pumped Cr:Nd:YAG transmitter and a leading-edge receiver with a 3.5-inch aperture Dall-Kirkham telescope. Detection is accomplished using an enhanced-silicon avalanche photodiode. From system tests, the NLR is capable of ranging in excess of 100 km to the asteroid's surface. Measurements of the time-of-flight between laser pulse firings and detection of surface backscatter are made using an APL- developed receiver having range resolution of 31.48 cm and accuracy of 2 m. Total mass of the NLR is 4.9 kg and its average power consumption is <EQ 15.1 W. This paper reviews specifications for the NLR instrument, provides overall design details, and presents system performance using prelaunch test results.

Citation Download Citation

Timothy D. Cole, Mark T. Boies, and Ashruf S. El-Dinary "Laser radar instrument for the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission", Proc. SPIE 2748, Laser Radar Technology and Applications, (26 June 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.243547

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