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CDDIS_LLR_data

Published by NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/GGL/CDDIS | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: January 31, 2026 at 08:21 PM | Dataset Last Updated: March 31, 2025
Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measures the distance between the Earth and the Moon using laser ranging. A short pulse of coherent light generated by a laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is transmitted in a narrow beam to illuminate corner cube retroreflectors on the moon. The return signal, typically a few photons, is collected by a telescope and the time-of-flight is measured. Apollo astronauts and Russian rovers deployed laser ranging retroreflector arrays on the lunar surface which continue to yield fundamental scientific data. Analysis of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data provides information on the lunar orbit, rotation, solid-body tides, and retroreflector locations.

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