有关用于卫星跟踪的脉冲式测距激光器的工作是1961年2月在戈达德开始的。它的主要目的是为“将来”的需要发展一台高精度的跟踪系统。早在1964年,第一台激光角立方体装备的宇宙飞船,信标探险者-B被射入轨道并用我们的激光测距系统跟踪。这时获得了几米的跟踪误差。今天,十艘装有激光角立方体的宇宙飞船在轨道上运行,并被其测距噪声和精度在十分之一米和不到十分之一米范围内的超精确激光测距系统跟踪。激光测距误差(偏压和噪声)1971年约50～70厘米,1973年约10～30厘米,现在约为5～8厘米。对地球重力场、地极移动和地球旋转变化的新的研究正在采用这些激光系统。本文叙述了最新的戈达德系统、它们用于我们的地球动力学计划,并进一步讨论用实际的现场数据获得的精确度。 The work on pulse range-finding lasers for satellite tracking started in Goddard in February 1961. Its main purpose is to develop a high-precision tracking system for the “future” needs. As early as 1964, the first spacecraft equipped with a laser angle cube, Beacon Explorer-B was launched into orbit and tracked with our laser ranging system. At this time, a few meters of tracking error was obtained. Today, ten spacecraft with laser-angle cubes run on orbit and are tracked by their range-finding noise and ultra-precision laser-ranging systems with accuracies in the tenths of a meter and less than a tenth of a meter. Laser ranging error (bias and noise) in 1971 about 50 to 70 cm, about 10 to 30 cm in 1973, and now is about 5 to 8 cm. New research into changes in the Earth's gravitational field, the movement of the poles, and the rotation of the earth are using these laser systems. This article describes the latest Goddard system for our geodynamics program and further discusses the accuracy achieved with actual field data.