Optical system design and integration of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar

Shane Wake; Luis A. Ramos-Izquierdo; Bente Eegholm; Peter Dogoda; Zachary Denny; Michael Hersh; Michael Mulloney; W. Joe Thomes; Melanie N. Ott; Hali Jakeman; Demetrios Poulios; Peter Mule; Erich de Leon; J. Bryan Blair

doi:10.1117/12.2530653

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9 September 2019 Optical system design and integration of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar

Shane Wake, Luis A. Ramos-Izquierdo, Bente Eegholm, Peter Dogoda, Zachary Denny, Michael Hersh, Michael Mulloney, W. Joe Thomes, Melanie N. Ott, Hali Jakeman, Demetrios Poulios, Peter Mule, Erich de Leon, J. Bryan Blair

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Proceedings Volume 11128, Infrared Remote Sensing and Instrumentation XXVII; 111280J (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2530653
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2019, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) instrument was designed, built, and tested in-house at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on December 5, 2018. GEDI is a multibeam waveform LiDAR (light detection and ranging) designed to measure the Earth’s global tree height and canopy density using 8 laser beam ground tracks separated by roughly 600 meters. Given the ground coverage required and the 2 year mission duration, a unique optical design solution was developed. GEDI generates 8 ground sampling tracks from 3 transmitter systems viewed by a single receiver telescope, all while maximizing system optical efficiency and transmitter to receiver boresight alignment margin. The GEDI optical design, key optical components, and system level integration and testing are presented here. GEDI began 2 years of science operations in March 2019 and so far, it is meeting all of its key optical performance requirements and is returning outstanding science.

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Shane Wake, Luis A. Ramos-Izquierdo, Bente Eegholm, Peter Dogoda, Zachary Denny, Michael Hersh, Michael Mulloney, W. Joe Thomes, Melanie N. Ott, Hali Jakeman, Demetrios Poulios, Peter Mule, Erich de Leon, and J. Bryan Blair "Optical system design and integration of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar", Proc. SPIE 11128, Infrared Remote Sensing and Instrumentation XXVII, 111280J (9 September 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2530653

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