LOLA One-Way Laser Ranging Full Rate Data from Ground Stations

Ground station one-way laser ranging data from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) mission. The dataset aggregates daily full-rate measurements collected by participating ground stations, intended for users performing custom transmit-receive pairing with spacecraft data. It is managed by the CDDIS organization, with platform metadata indicating updates as recent as 2026, though an earlier source lists a 2014 date.

Use Cases

• Pairing ground station transmit times with spacecraft receive times for precise orbit determination.
• Analyzing the performance and timing characteristics of individual laser ranging ground stations.
• Studying raw, unprocessed laser range measurements for signal processing or noise analysis.
• Validating or comparing results against the official LOLA Planetary Data System products.

Strengths

• Data is aggregated daily, providing a structured temporal view of ground station activity.
• Sourced from the authoritative CDDIS (Crustal Dynamics Data Information System) organization.
• Available on multiple platforms, indicating recognized utility and accessibility.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (row/byte count) are unspecified across all sources.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date (2014 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about freshness.
• This is not the official mission data product, requiring user processing for scientific use.

Provenance

Source

NASA CDDIS (Crustal Dynamics Data Information System)

Collection Method

Aggregated daily full-rate laser ranging data delivered from participating ground stations.

Time Range

Daily aggregates; specific mission date range not provided.

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:54:27.715341

Geography

Global network of laser ranging ground stations; lunar target.