HartRAO Home > news > HartRAO SLR Arrives 2000/06/09

The picture below shows the two trailers with the SLR (left) and its support workshop (right) arriving at the Hartebeesthoek SLR pad on 09 June 2000.

Alignment of the SLR with the reference point on the SLR pad is shown below. In the centre of the picture, the metal cone hanging below the SLR telescope is positioned vertically above the reference point at the centre of the metal disc on the SLR pad.

The satellite laser ranger trailer is seen below on 17 July 2000, installed on the SLR pad at HartRAO. Team members Solly Mohlabeng, Johan Bernhardt and Pieter Stronkhorst check out the telescope. The telescope for receiving the laser pulses is seen in the centre of the picture. The laser transmitter is the smaller tube attched to the side of the telescope, just in front of Pieter Stronkhorst. The radome partly visible on the right houses a radar for monitoring aircraft that may approach the laser beam.

The main optics of the satellite laser ranger are shown below on 17 July 2000, with Solly Mohlabeng and Louis Barendse of the HartRAO space geodesy programme. The sky can be seen reflected in the primary mirror of the telescope. The black shadows across the reflection are from the secondary mirror support and circular light baffles. The aperture of the laser transmitter is at the centre right edge of the picture.

Part of the interior of the SLR trailer is shown here, with the electronics and computer systems used for control. Johan Bernhardt and Solly Mohlabeng conduct tests. The laser room is through the door with the "danger" signs. The telescope is mounted above the laser room.