SLR- SATELLITE LASER RANGING

BOUNCE LASER BEAMS OFF SPECIALLY DESIGNED SATELLITE COVERED WITH “CORNER REFLECTORS” THAT REFLECT VERY WELL

(NASA/GSFC)

SLR ACCURACY AND ORBIT DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES ALLOW LASER GEODYNAMICS SATELLITE (LAGEOS) DATA TO BE ROUTINELY FIT TO A PRECISION OF 1-2 CENTIMETERS

MEASUREMENTS OVER TIME GIVE THE POSITIONS OF THE GROUND STATIONS AND THUS DETERMINE PLATE MOTIONS