Passive ground-based optical techniques for monitoring the on-orbit
ICESat-2 altimeter geolocation and footprint diameter
Abstract
NASA launched its second Earth observing laser altimeter in 2018 with
mission objectives of studying the changes in our climate by monitoring
global elevations, particularly in the polar regions. Since the mission
is focused on generating accurate elevations and elevation change, the
geolocation (or geodetic position) of the measurements are of upmost
importance to each of the scientific disciplines supported by these
observations. Geolocation validation is required to ensure that the
mission is meeting its objectives with the appropriate level of
geolocation accuracy. One validation technique uses small optical
reflectors placed in a specific pattern along one or more satellite
ground-tracks. The optics provide a unique signal back to the satellite
that can be used to compare the geolocation of these returns in the data
to the known position on the surface. Results of the position comparison
indicate the measurement locations are accurate to within 3.5 m with a
standard deviation of 1.6 m. They also provide a method for determining
a representative footprint diameter using geometric analysis, which
resulted in an average value of 10.9 m ±2.1 m.