Ground-based laser radar measurements of satellite vibrations.
Vibration signatures from the low-power atmospheric compensation (LACE) satellite are obtained by using the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Firepond coherent CO(2) laser radar facility located in Westford, Mass. The LACE satellite is equipped with IR germanium retroreflectors on deployable/retractable booms to enhance ground-based IR laser radar measurements of on-orbit boom vibrations. Analysis of pulsed cw laser radar measurements of the satellite during and subsequent to boom retraction indicates the presence of a complex time-varying model structure. The observed vibration spectra include vibration modes not previously predicted. These data represent the first observations of satellite vibration modes from a ground-based laser radar.
Schultz
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Fisher
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