A compact, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been developed for the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) instrument which is an instrument on the MESSENGER mission to the planet Mercury. The laser achieves 5.4 percent efficiency with a near diffraction limited beam. It has passed all space flight environmental tests at system, instrument, and satellite integration. The laser design draws on a heritage of previous laser altimetry missions, specifically ISESAT and Mars Global Surveyor; but incorporates thermal management features unique to the requirements of an orbit of the planet Mercury.
Compact, Passively Q-Switched Nd: YAG Laser for the MESSENGER Mission to the Planet Mercury
2004
14 pages
Report
No indication
English
Passively Q-Switched Yb:Er:Glass Laser
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|Passively Q-switched Yb:Er:glass laser
IEEE | 2003
|Return to Mercury: the MESSENGER spacecraft and mission
IEEE | 2006
|