BackForwardInstrument:  LRI 

Instrument details
Acronym LRI
Full name Laser Ranging Interferometer
Purpose To measure separation distance between satellites
Short description

Laser ranging interferometer
Background

New development
Scanning Technique

N/A
Resolution
Coverage / Cycle
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period: 2019 to 2033
Last update: 2026-11-09
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Other payload component
  • Gravity sensing system
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 1
  • Gravimetry missions
  • Gravitometry sensing system
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Gravity field
  • Ground water
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Geoid3 - highHighly indirect.Multi-satellite system to reconstruct the Earth's gravity field, hence the geoid
Gravity field*1 - primaryAssimilation in gravity model needed.Multi-satellite system to reconstruct the Earth's gravity field
Gravity gradients1 - primaryAssimilation in gravity model needed.Satellite-to-satellite tracking system to reconstruct the Earth's gravity field