Upgrade of an Astronomical Telescope for Satellite Laser Ranging Up to Geostationary Targets

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is a well-established, mature technique for precise orbit determination (POD). Its overall performance however significantly relies not only on the specific hard- and software equipment of the respective SLR stations - which is relatively expensive -, but also on their global distribution. Upgrading already existing astronomical telescopes with a low-energy laser (e.g, 15 μJ / 2 kHz / 532 nm), plus single-photon detector plus a suitable event timer - all relatively low cost units - creates new SLR systems, which allows laser ranging from Low Earth Orbits (LEO) up to Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) targets.