The Review of Laser Engineering
Online ISSN : 1349-6603
Print ISSN : 0387-0200
ISSN-L : 0387-0200
Spaceborne Lidars
M. Patrick McCORMICK
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1995 Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 175-179

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Abstract

Lidars orbiting the Earth offer unique capabilities to scientists studying our atmosphere andclimate, and perhaps the Earth's surface properties. For example, a lidar with itsinherentsmall laser divergence and, therefore, small footprint can be used to probe the troposphere, aregion very difficult to measure with passive sensors. Further, the short pulse length of lasersprovide exceedingly high vertical resolution, while their monochromatic nature allows narrowband filtering and high signal-to-noise detection. Lidars have already shown theirunique capabilitiesfrom Earth-based or airborne platforms to accurately measure such critical constituentsand properties as ozone, water vapor, density, clouds and aerosols. This issue describes thoseand other capabilities. This paper discusses the historic background of spaceborne flight and, in addition, describes the first flight of a lidar in Earth orbit, that of LITE on the Space Shuttle Discovery in September 1994. Some early results illustrate the power of this new technique tocontribute to our knowledge of critical aspects of our Earth's environment.

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© The Laser Society of Japan
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