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Star Tracker Camera

Ultraviolet/Visible Camera

Near-Infared Camera

High-Resolution Camera

Laser Transmitter

Long-Wave Infared

Laser Transmitter


Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) developed a laser-ranging system (under Ballistic Missile Defense Organization sponsorship) that was successfully used for lunar altimetry. The transmitter was a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 nm with 180 mJ per pulse and a pulse duration of 10 ns. The transmitter ran continuously at a 1 Hz pulse rate with short bursts at 8 Hz limited by thermal effects. The laser transmitter and power supply weighed 1.25 kg and were very compact. They represented a factor of 10 improvement in mass and volume when compared to earlier units. The receiver for the laser ranger was an avalanche photodiode within the HiRes camera and shared its optics. Range measurements could be made to a maximum of 640 km, with a resolution of 40 m.


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