This week in 1976, NASA launched the Laser Geodynamics Satellite, LAGEOS-1. The 2-foot-diameter, 900-pound satellite orbited Earth from pole to pole and measured the movements of Earth’s surface relative to earthquakes, continental drift, and other geophysical phenomena. LAGEOS-1, the first spacecraft dedicated exclusively to high-precision laser ranging, provided the first opportunity to acquire laser-ranging data that were not degraded by errors originating in the satellite orbit or satellite array. The mirrored surface of the satellite precisely reflected laser beams from ground stations for accurate ranging measurements. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center developed and built the satellite. Many Marshall scientists and researchers work everyday to develop a scientific understanding of Earth’s system and its response to natural or human-induced changes, and to improve prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards. The NASA History Program documents and preserves NASA’s remarkable history through a variety of products — photos, press kits, press releases, mission transcripts and administrators’ speeches. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the History Program’s Web page.
Image credit: NASA