The 20th International Workshop on Laser Ranging 2016 was held on October 10 – 14, 2016 at Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

More than 170 scientists from 25 countries participated in this meeting which has a long tradition since 1973 and was held 2016 for the first time in Potsdam where laser ranging to satellites has been successfully performed since 1974.

Invited speakers addressed achieved scientific results in research areas where Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) deliver important contributions. Conclusions for future requirements concerning station operations, station and data quality control as well as implications for upcoming satellite missions and laser retro reflector design were derived from discussions on focused topics. Reviews of SLR station performance and direct interactions between operators and data analysts initiated lively discussions on ways to better understand and control station systematics within the international ground station network. Recent tracking strategies were reviewed for their effectiveness and recommendations for optimization of future operations were agreed during the workshop.

For further information including proceedings see at this ILRS-page.

The next International Workshop on Laser Ranging will be held in October 2018 in Canberra, Australia.