OPTICAL-SYSTEM DESIGN AND INTEGRATION OF THE MARS OBSERVER LASER ALTIMETER

The Mars Observer Laser Altimeter, developed for flight on the Mars Ob server spacecraft payload in September 1992, is designed to measure th e topography of the Martian surface over a 2-year period from a 400-km mapping orbit. A 40 mJ pulse diode-pumped laser together with a 0.5-m -diameter beryllium telescope and a silicon avalanche photodiode are t he principal optical subassemblies of this active remote-sensing instr ument. Optical design rationale and measured optical performances duri ng assembly and integration are presented.