The
LAGEOS I, Laser Geodynamics Satellite, was launched on May 4, 1976 from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The two-foot diameter, 900-pound
satellite orbited the Earth from pole to pole and measured the
movements of the Earth's surface relative to earthquakes, continental
drift, and other geophysical phenomena.
The mirrored surface of
the satellite precisely reflected laser beams from ground stations for
accurate ranging measurements. Scientists at NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. came up with the idea for the
satellite and built it at the Marshall Center.
Image Credit: NASA/MSFC