[Laser] Laser retroreflectors on Sats

[Patrick Barthelow]

A question from a newbie:

Anyone out there done any laser stuff with satellites, that are equipped with retro prisms on them? 

There may be an interesting app for such involving a cubesat.
If it works out, I may have access to a tracking optical telescope that can point a laser into space, and track a satellite with Az-El Accuracy approaching a few seconds of arc.

I have been musing about ways to check for deployment of a drag device on the Cubesat that is spring loaded, for deployment.  I am  trying to figure out a way to confirm that the drag device has indeed deployed.

The drag device when deployed, exposes new cubesat surfaces that are normally covered when not deployed.  If you used some tiny retroprisms (or scotchlight tape,or other glass bead retro reflective surface treatment), that were uncovered when deployed then you could theoretically illuminate the cubesat and look for a strong return laser signal to the ground.
The sat will be tumbling, randomly at a slow angular rate.

  I would have to research the required intensities, and laser power needed to get a detected signal back to the ground.

Hmmm I bet there are some regs limiting scanning the skies with a laser, both wrt aircraft, and wrt possibly blinding unintended satellite optics by inadvertantly hitting them with a laser.....

I used to use Electronic Distance meters in surveying, decades ago, and we used to substitute sometimes highway reflectors for the expensive glass retroprisms used as targets for the laser and before them, natural light EDMs.    
You could use scotchlight reflective tape, or the round traffic reflectors if you could accept a decrease in range over the glass retroprisms.

Someone told me that the GPS sats have laser retroprisms on them for precision ranging from the ground, so there might be some expertise out there in this cubesat application..

Best Regards,    73,   
Pat Barthelow   AA6EG
apolloeme at live.com
"Echoes of Apollo"  



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