Beam It Up! Sensing From a Distance Using Electromagnetic and Acoustic Energy Pulses
Animals Did It First o Bats emit pulses of ultrasonic acoustic energy (“clicks”). o The reflections (“echoes”) give them information about their environment.
Lunar Laser Ranging
Scary Details
Mapping Mars with Lasers
Echo Sounding o Mapping the ocean floor with pulses of acoustic energy. o The ocean absorbs electro- magnetic energy.
Side-Scan Sonar o Probes a line instead of a point.
Side-Scan Sonar Images o The S.S. Nedjan Before... And After.
A Different Kind Of Light o Radar uses radio frequency electro- magnetic energy.
Not Just For Air Anymore o Ground-penetrating radar is like a seismic survey, using electromagnetic rather than acoustic energy.
From Earth To Sky o Ground- penetrating radar could detect groundwater near the Martian surface.
From Sky Back To Earth
Global Positioning o Receivers on the surface get time and position data from multiple satellites. o A little bit of math gives a pinpoint planetary position.