The McDonald Geodetic Observatory (MGO) is located near Ft. Davis, Texas and is co-located with a number of astronomical observatories. The site has been a pioneering site for lunar and satellite laser ranging development since the 1960s. The University of Texas at Austin developed and tested the first Transportable Laser Ranging System (TLRS-1) at the site during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first acquisition of LAGEOS by the MLRS occurred in August, 1981, and the first lunar acquisition occurred in August, 1983. In 1988, MLRS was relocated from its original location between Mt. Locke and Mt. Fowlkes to its current site on Mt. Fowlkes.
A permanent GNSS receiver is co-located at the McDonald site. A VLBA site is located approximately 8 km from the system. A VLBI system was located near that site but stopped operations in the 1980s.
Telescopes at McDonald Observatory (Image credit: The University of Texas McDonald Observatory)
Return to all sites
