NASA’s LAser GEOdynamic Satellite (LAGEOS) was the first spacecraft dedicated exclusively to high-precision laser ranging. LAGEOS was a passive satellite with no power, communications, or moving parts. The satellite was covered with 426 cube corner reflectors with all but four reflectors made with fused silica glass. The other four reflectors were made of germanium to obtain measurements in the infrared for experimental studies of reflectivity and satellite orientation.
