NGSLR Performance in High and Low Energy Operation

TL;DRAbstract

The Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging System (NGSLR) has been designed to track targets at lunar distance as well as Earth-orbiting retroreflector-equipped satellites. NGSLR's eye-safe, single photon, high frequency observations of the closer targets exhibit characteristics of system and satellite signature which must be considered in an effective orbit determination in combination with data collected by other observatories in the global SLR network. To help isolate these features, observations taken by the instrument as the receiver in a two-station configuration with MOBLAS-7 at Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory (GGAO) have been used to calibrate the NGSLR event timer and processor. High energy returns from available Earth orbiting satellites have now been used to calibrate the longer-pulse transmit system built into NGSLR to support the up-coming Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission. Special efforts by stations in the tracking network will provide the timi

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