CDDIS SLR Data: Satellite Laser Ranging for Geodesy

NASA's Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) data measures the precise distance between ground stations and satellites equipped with retroreflectors. The time-of-flight of laser pulses is used to determine station locations and, through repeated measurements over months and years, track the motion of the Earth's crust. The dataset is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Model tectonic plate motion based on repetitive distance change measurements between stations.
• Calibrate satellite orbit determination algorithms based on precise time-of-flight data.
• Analyze long-term crustal deformation trends based on centimeter-precision station distance data.

Strengths

• Data enables distance measurement precision of centimeters or better, as stated in the description.
• Provides repetitive measurements over months and years for tracking change.
• Produced by the authoritative source NASA.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) measurements from ground stations to satellites.

Time Range

Measurements are repetitive over months and years, but specific start/end dates are not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04 10 19:37:48.987153; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global, involving stations potentially many kilometers apart or on different continents.