Design and analysis of the Macao Science Satellite-1's laser retro-reflector array

The origin and spatial-temporal variation of the Earth’s magnetic field(EMF)is one of the important scientific problems that has long been unsolved.The Macao Science Satellite-1(MSS-1)under construction is China’s first high-precision EMF measurement satellite.To satisfy the highly precise requirements of the MSS-1 orbit measurement,a light,high-precision,four-prism laser retroreflector array was designed.It weighs approximately 285 g,its effective reflection area is greater than 1.77 cm^(2),and its size is 100×100×41 mm.The laser retro-reflector array has excellent performance,and it can achieve a ranging precision at the subcentimeter level for satellite laser ranging.It will be developed and installed on the MSS-1 as a power-free load for high-precision orbit measurement and accurate orbit calibration.The MSS-1 is planned to be brought into the International Laser Ranging Service observations.More than 31satellite laser ranging stations in the International Laser Ranging Service around the world will be able to measure the MSS-1 with long arcs,which will support the scientific mission of high-precision EMF exploration.

Illumination system with compound parabolic retro-reflector for single LCOS panel projection display

In this paper, a new illumination system with ultra high performance (UHP) lamp is proposed for projection display. Parabolic reflector (PR) and compound parabolic retro-reflector (CPR) were jointly used to collect and collimate the light generated from UHP lamp. A polarization converter system (PCS) was used to increase the light efficiency of the projection display system. A beam transformer between PCS and 2f imaging systems was directly used to make the illumination meet the requirement of projection display system. With the consideration of the loss of reflection, the light efficiency in this projection display system was estimated to be 15.6%.

Overview of Satellite Laser Ranging for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

Satellite laser ranging(SLR)is an unambiguous measurement technique and generates high accuracy satellite orbit data.All satellites in the BeiDou navigation satellite system(BDS)carried laser retro-reflector arrays(LRAs),so they can be tracked by ground SLR stations in order to provide the accurate observation data.The Shanghai astronomical observatory(SHAO)designed the LRAs,and also developed the dedicated SLR systems using a 1 m-aperture telescope and a transportable cabin-based SLR system with a telescopes of 60 cm aperture.These enable BDS satellite ranging during daytime and nighttime with centimeter-level precision,allowing highly accurate estimations of satellite orbits.Moreover,some of the BDS satellites are also equipped with laser time transfer(LTT)payloads,which were developed by the SHAO and China Academy of Space Technology(CAST),providing a highly accurate time comparison between the satellites and ground clocks.This paper describes the dedicated SLR system and the design of the LRAs for BDS satellites,as well as global SLR measurements.The SLR tracking data is used for evaluating the orbit accuracy of BDS satellites and broadcast ephemeris,with an accuracy of less than 1 m.The LTT measurements to BDS satellites for a single shot have a precision of approximately 300 picoseconds,with a time stability of 20 picoseconds in 500 s.

A Novel Approach for Warhead Fragments Velocity Measurement Based on Laser Screen

The velocity of warhead fragment is key criteria to determine its mutilation efficiency.We have designed an optoelectronic system to accurately measure the average velocity of warhead fragments.The apparatus including two parallel laser screens spaced apart at a known fixed distance for providing time measurement start and stop signals.The large effective screen area is formed by laser source,retro-reflector and large area photo-diode with a central hole.Whenever a moving fragment interrupts two optical screen,the corresponding photometers senses the event,due to partial obscuration of the incident energy.Experiments have been performed to measure velocity of the different kinds of projectiles and fragments within various size and velocity ranges,including 7.62 mm bullet shooting experiments,prefabricated steel-ball exploding experiments.They were proved that the system is adequate to measure the velocity of larger than 5 mm,less than 1 000 m/s in the range,when fixed trajectory,test the velocity of the projectile average relative deviation is less than 4.21%.The system can perform satisfactorily with a lot of advantages such as larger effective light screen area,quick response speed,low uncertainty,strong repetition and reliability,etc.

Review of the development of Lunar Laser Ranging

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the development of Lunar Laser Ranging(LLR),covering key components such as ground observatories,lunar retro-reflectors,and data formats.The paper details the evolution of LLR experiments conducted by some major world-class observatories,with a particular focus on addressing critical issues associated with LLR technology.Additionally,the article highlights the latest advancements in the field,elucidating scientific achievements derived from LLR data,including its contributions to gravitational theory,Earth Orientation Parameters,lunar physics exploration,and lunar librations.The review summarizes new challenges in LLR modeling and concludes with prospects for the future development of LLR.

Calculation of distribution of effective reflection area for space-borne laser retro-reflector array

The effective area of space-borne laser retro-reflector directly influences the intensity of the return signals for satellite laser ranging. The configuration of the retro-reflector array determines the effective area. The formula for the effective area of the space-borne retro-reflector array with different inclination angles at arbitrary celestial zone was deduced in this paper. As an example, the calculation result about effective area for the retro-reflector array of the Shenzhou-IV orbital module was given.

Arbitrarily shaped retro-reflector by optics surface transformation

A novel way to design arbitrarily shaped retro-reflectors by optics surface transformation is proposed. The entire design process consists of filling an optic-null medium between the input and output surfaces of the retroreflector, on which the points have 180 deg reverse corresponding relations. The retro-reflector can be designed to be very thin(a planar structure) with high efficiency. The effective working angles of our retro-reflector are very large(from-80 deg to +80 deg), which can, in principle, be further extended. Layered metal plates and zero refractive index materials are designed to realize the proposed retro-reflector for a TM polarized beam.