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HartRAO Satellite Laser Ranger sees Satellites 2000/07/28

The MOBLAS-6 Satellite Laser Ranger installed at HartRAO was aimed at satellites and the reflected light pulses received for the first time during testing on Friday 28 July 2000. Two AJISAI satellites were targeted, starting at 20h00 that evening. About 390 pulses were detected from each of the satellites. The satellites were in range above the 20 degree elevation limit of the system for about five minutes each.

The images below show the laser beam at night and were taken by Louis Barendse of the SLR team. The overexposed image of the Moon appears next to the SLR in the second picture. Click on the pictures for high resolution views.

MOBLAS-6 laser specification

laser wavelength: 532 nanometers
laser pulse duration: 0.2 nanoseconds
laser pulse repetition rate: 5 per second
energy per pulse exiting mount: 80 milliJoules
laser beam diameter exiting mount: 105 millimeters
divergence angle of laser beam: 0.13 milliradians = 0.0075 degrees = 0.45 arc minutes

www.hartrao.ac.za/news/slr2/slr2.html
Last updated 2000/08/11 by M J Gaylard e-mail: mike@hartrao.ac.za