Model, Laser Geodynamics Satellite (LAGEOS)

Object Details

Summary: Launched in May 1976, LAGEOS (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) has provided long-term data on key geophysical properties of the Earth, including movement of tectonic plates, and measurement of the planet's gravitational field and the "wobble" in the axis of rotation.; The satellite design was elegantly simple--it carried no onboard sensors, electronics, or moving parts, and was not attitude controlled. It consisted of a brass core surrounded by a sphere of aluminum embedded with 426 cube-corner retroreflectors. Pulsed laser beams transmitted from Earth hit the reflectors and bounce back to ground stations. The travel times are precisely measured, allowing highly accurate measurements of geophysical properties.; At its altitude of 5858 kilometers (3640 miles), the satellite will orbit for thousands of years, which led designers to include a "time capsule" plaque featuring maps of the Earth from 3 different eras: 268 million years in the past, the 1970s, and 8 million years in the future.; This artifact is a 1/2 scale model, donated by R. L. Bullock to the Museum in 1978.

Materials: Aluminum; Glass; Plastic; Copper Alloy; Steel
Dimensions: Model: 27.9 x 30.5cm (11 x 12 in.); Storage: 33 x 33 x 38.1cm (13 x 13 x 15 in.)

National Air and Space Museum

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9fbd5d375-bf71-41d2-958f-c4e6e5371a9c