Subject: [SLR-Mail] No. 876: ILRS Mission Support of ICESat From: Carey Noll > ******************************************************************************** SLR Electronic Mail 2002-01-07 23:08:00 UTC Message No. 876 ******************************************************************************** Author: Carey Noll Subject: ILRS Mission Support of ICESat Subject: MWG Recommendation for the IceSat Mission Dear Colleagues: The ILRS Governing Board has approved tracking of the ICESat mission, presently scheduled for launch in September 2002. SLR will be used to validate and support the GPS POD efforts as well as orbit maintenance activities. Below is a message from Scott Wetzel to the Central Bureau conveying the positive recommendation from the Missions Working Group. More information about the mission can be found at the web site http://icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Regards, Carey Noll. Secretary, ILRS Central Bureau ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 13:51:34 -0500 From: ”Wetzel, Scott L.” To: ”Pearlman, Mike” Cc: ILRS Missions Working Group Subject: MWG Recommendation for the IceSat Mission Hi Mike, I am pleased to provide the long awaited recommendation from the ILRS Missions Working Group for the IceSat mission. Based on the number of replies from MWG members and members of the Networks and Engineering, Analysis, and Signal Processing Working groups, we unanimously endorse supporting the IceSat satellite. SLR´s role in this mission is to validate and support the GPS positioning system and provide a backup in the event of a GPS failure. One concern that has been raised in the process was that there is a 532 nm backscatter measurement on the S/C that may be of issue if illuminated by SLR. I am going to follow-up on that issue with Dr. Bob Schutz, however, this issue was discussed before with Bob and Pete Shelus. If I remember correctly, there may be times when the IceSat team will request that SLR not occur over certain sites at certain times or at certain tracking elevations. More to come when I hear back from Bob. We will continue on our mission planning efforts with the IceSat team based on the response from the Governing Board. Mission Parameters for IceSat are: * Mission objectives: Measure ice-sheet topography and associated temporal changes. Measure cloud and atmospheric properties. * Provide along-track topography * Mission role: Validation of GPS POD and back-up POD Orbit Maintenance * Lunch date: Currently, September 2002 * Mission duration: 3 years (5 year goal) * Altitude: Approximately 600 KM * Inclination: Approximately 94 degrees * Eccentricity: Near Circular * Tracking sched: 1st 6 months validation/orbit maintenance thereafter * Spatial cov: Global * Temporal cov: Complete, during 1st 6 months/occasional thereafter * Data accuracy: Normal network precision and accuracy * Coordinator: ILRS/UTx-CSR * Priority: Validation and back-up to GPS POD, orbit maintenance * Data source: UTx/CSR * POD source: GPS * Analysis Center: UTx/CSR * NPT time span: 5-15 sec. * Tracking requests: Global * Delivery time: Near-real-time, station computed normal points * Array info: Identical to GFO array * Tech contact for array info: Dr. Bob E. Schutz Please let me know if you have any questions/comments regarding this mission. Thanks and regards. Scott From: Carey Noll From: ”Wetzel, Scott L.” ********************************************************************************