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Instrument class · Surface topography (laser ranging)

Laser Altimeter (Lidar)

An active instrument that fires laser pulses and times their return to measure distance precisely — mapping the topography of a planet, moon, or asteroid with height accuracy of metres.

Instruments of this class

  • Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA)Instrument

    MESSENGER's laser altimeter, which measured the topography of Mercury's northern hemisphere and helped confirm water ice in its permanently shadowed polar craters.

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.