A spaceborne adaptive lidar for earth imaging

Space-based laser remote sensing has become a key contributor to understanding our Earth and other planetary bodies. The steady innovation in laser-related technologies provides us new opportunities and challenges in creating laser-related instruments and sensors that will expand our knowledge and extend our reach. This paper illustrates an approach to combine new imaging lidar receiver and steerable multi-beam laser transmitter technologies, using new control architectures to create an adaptive lidar to help in topographic and forest mapping and earth imaging.