A 16-Beam, Non-Scanning, Swath-Mapping Laser Altimeter Instrument

  • Magazine Article
  • TBMG-23279
Published November 01, 2015 by Tech Briefs Media Group in United States
Language:
  • English

The purpose of this work was to develop and demonstrate technologies for a next-generation, efficient, swath-mapping space laser altimeter. The Lidar Surface Topography (LIST) mission concept allows simultaneous measurements of 5-meter-spatial-resolution topography and vegetation vertical structure with decimeter vertical precision in an elevation imaging swath several kilometers wide from a 400-km-altitude Earth orbit. To advance and demonstrate needed technologies for the LIST mission, the Airborne LIST Simulator (ALISTS) pathfinder instrument was developed. ALISTS is a micropulse, single photon-sensitive waveform recording system based on a new and highly efficient laser measurement approach utilizing emerging laser transmitter and detector technologies.