Home – Home – Jornals – Atmospheric and Oceanic Optics 2024 number 2

High-precision satellite laser ranging (SLR) is actively used all over the world to solve a variety of tasks, primarily in geodesy and navigation. However, the disadvantage of laser systems is the dependence of the effectiveness of their use on weather conditions, in particular, on the presence of clouds. However, in separate experiments conducted at the JSC “Precision Systems and Instruments" (JSC “PSI"), it was possible to receive laser pulses on board a spacecraft in cloudy conditions. The purpose of the work is to evaluate the possibility of functioning of the metrological laser system (MLS) developed at JSC “PSI" in the presence of certain types and forms of clouds that allow the reception and determination of the parameters of laser pulses. Mathematical models of the atmosphere for a laser radiation wavelength of 0.532 microns have been developed, including optical characteristics of the crystalline medium for aggregate structures of ice particles. Calculations of the transfer of optical radiation of subnanosecond laser pulses from ground stations to high-orbit and low-orbit spacecrafts in the presence of upper- and middle-level crystalline clouds have been performed. The amplitude-time characteristics of optical signals on board the spacecrafts are calculated. It is shown that the principles of one-sided SLR can be implemented in the presence of cirrus, cirrus-layered, and cirrus-cumulus clouds in the sky, as well as altostratus clouds with established limitations on the optical thickness. The results confirm the possibility of increasing the technological performance of high-precision SLR systems, in particular, MLS, since the repeatability of the cloud forms under study over the territory of the Russian Federation is about 20%.