Analysis of pyramid-structured laser retro-reflector array and laser ranging experiment

As a passive optical cooperative target, the laser retro-reflector array (LRA) is an essential component of satellite laser ranging (SLR) systems. For LRAs on low Earth orbit satellites, they need to operate over a wide range of laser incidence angles while keeping the total ranging uncertainty introduced by the array structure within acceptable limits. To meet the requirements of high-precision laser ranging, a lightweight, high-precision four-prism LRA with a pyramid structure was developed. This paper conducts a theoretical analysis of key technical parameters of a pyramid-structured LRA using a special velocity aberration compensation method, including far-field diffraction pattern, relative effective reflection area distribution, and centre of mass correction value distribution. Laser ranging experiments were conducted using the domestic mobile SLR system TROS1000 to track the satellite equipped with the pyramid-structured LRA. The results showed a ranging precision of 0.9 cm, which is basically consistent with the theoretical analysis. This indicates that the pyramid-structured LRA has excellent performance, providing guidance for future designs of satellite LRAs.