Validation of timing and measurement system of the small SLR system Omni-SLR

Satellite laser ranging (SLR) is a highly sophisticated observational technique that entails substantial installation and operational costs among space geodetic technologies. Despite these costs, SLR remains indispensable for determining fundamental geodetic parameters, including the Earth’s center of mass. Omni-SLR is a newly developed SLR concept aimed at increasing the global number of SLR observation sites by reducing system size and cost through a compact and affordable design. This paper describes the timing measurement technology implemented in Omni-SLR versions A25.02 and A25.09 released in February and September 2025 and presents its performance evaluation for the nighttime ranging. Demonstration experiments conducted at the Ishioka Geodetic Observatory (IGO) indicate that the timing measurement unit achieves data quality comparable to that of conventional, high-cost SLR systems. Furthermore, because Omni-SLR is applicable to optical communication technologies, such as frequency comparison, these evaluation results also provide useful guidance for the development of related emerging technologies.