Systematic Analysis of Space Lidar Payload of Remote Sensing Satellites with Emphasis on the Effect of Environmental Parameters

Khoshsima, M.; Ghazanfarinia, S.; Narimani, R.

doi:10.22061/jrsgr.2024.11050.1072

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

¹ Iranian space research center, Tehran, Iran

² Satellite Research Institute, Iranian space research center, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/jrsgr.2024.11050.1072

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Remote sensing satellites equipped with Lidar payloads are deployed for ground, atmospheric, and space target monitoring missions. The primary advantage of space Lidars lies in their ability to conduct global monitoring with repeated coverage of targets, a capability that ground and airborne Lidars cannot fulfill. The energy of each pulse is a critical parameter in the design of space Lidar remote sensing payloads, impacting data accuracy, signal-to-noise ratio, horizontal and vertical resolution, and overall return signal aggregation time. Enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio is a key consideration in both the design and operational phases of a Lidar project. Numerous studies have explored the impact of different parameters on the signal-to-noise ratio of Lidar systems. However, despite these extensive investigations, this issue has not been comprehensively examined to date. The geometric configuration of the Lidar system, laser specifications, optics, electronics, and the arrangement of the laser-telescope geometry are key factors that significantly influence the optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio. Apart from the specifications of individual components, system analyses play a crucial role in the design of Lidar payloads. This includes technical specifications of the laser, transmitter, optical system, receiver telescope, heat control, and radiation considerations. Establishing a technical alignment between missions and payload specifications is a key requirement in this process.
Methods: Fully investigating the challenges associated with the systematic analysis of Lidar payloads is essential. This paper presents comprehensive research on the challenges and requirements related to the design considerations of Lidar systems, focusing on the transmitter and receiver components, as well as environmental factors such as radiation effects and thermal issues. Following the initial system analysis, further exploration is needed to address considerations for the Lidar payload during the operational phase, encompassing challenges related to data extraction, signal quality, and signal-to-noise ratio.
Findings: Variations in the sun's radiation angle can impact the optical depth parameter of aerosols, affecting the lidar signal-to-noise ratio by 10-40% based on atmospheric conditions. Optimal data collection times are estimated around zenith angles below 50 degrees at approximately 10 am and 2 pm, correlating with sun angle and atmospheric light scattering. Additionally, sunrise and sunset can influence signal-to-noise ratio due to maximum dispersion. The calculation of total ionizing dose damage serves as a design bottleneck, determining laser module efficiency loss through critical power index assessment for active and passive heat control. This article explores technical bottlenecks and systemic considerations in lidar payloads, investigating the role of environmental factors such as sun radiation angle and space environment impact.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that environmental factors such as space radiation and atmospheric optical indices during the operational phase, as well as geometric, structural parameters, and heat management during the design phase, significantly impact the energy of each pulse and variations in the signal-to-noise ratio. This insight is crucial for accurately estimating design budgets at both system and subsystem levels. The outcomes of this study not only offer practical implications for case studies but also suggest potential enhancements through the exploration and inclusion of additional considerations, potentially at the subsystem or other payload component levels. Leveraging the results of this research can help guarantee the precision of Lidar performance in future phases.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Remote Sensing

COPYRIGHTS
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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Journal of Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Research

Systematic Analysis of Space Lidar Payload of Remote Sensing Satellites with Emphasis on the Effect of Environmental Parameters

References

References

Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 4
July 2025
Pages 187-204

Systematic Analysis of Space Lidar Payload of Remote Sensing Satellites with Emphasis on the Effect of Environmental Parameters

References

References

Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 4July 2025Pages 187-204

Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 4
July 2025
Pages 187-204