Laser geodynamic satellite thermal/optical/vibrational analyses and testing. Volume 1: Executive summary

Abstract

The results of the LAGEOS Thermal/Optical/Vibrational Analyses and test program conducted for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are presented. The purpose of this study is to verify, through analysis and test, that the MSFC LAGEOS design inherently provides a retroreflector thermal environment which maintains acceptable retroreflector internal thermal gradients. Acceptable thermal gradients are those which result in less than 50% degradation of optical performance from isothermal optical performance. This volume provides an executive summary of the study program. It summarizes the study objectives, the study approach, the principal assumptions, the type of basic data generated and the significant results