ICESat Laser Pointing and Spacecraft Attitude Data

2003 to 2009 data from the GLAS instrument on the ICESat satellite, containing precise laser pointing information. It includes two orbits of attitude data from spacecraft and instrument star trackers, gyros, and the laser reference system. The dataset was produced by the NSIDC_CPRD organization and last updated in October 2009.

Use Cases

• Calibrate laser altimeter ground track geolocation using star tracker and gyro attitude data.
• Analyze temporal stability of laser pointing by examining time-series data from the laser reference system.
• Model spacecraft orientation dynamics by integrating instrument star tracker and spacecraft star tracker data streams.
• Validate orbital and attitude determination algorithms for satellite missions using the provided two-orbit datasets.

Strengths

• Data covers the operational period of the ICESat mission from 2003 to 2009.
• Includes multiple, synchronized attitude data sources (star trackers, gyro, laser reference system).

Limitations

• Data is not recent, with the last update occurring in 2009.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and sample data details are unknown.
• The dataset's license and exact file formats are unspecified.

Provenance

Source

NSIDC_CPRD, derived from NASA's GLAS/ICESat mission.

Collection Method

Collected by the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument onboard the ICESat satellite.

Time Range

2003 to 2009 (ICESat mission lifetime).

Freshness

Last updated 2009-10-11; mission concluded.

Geography

Global coverage.