WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:04.040 0.2 microradians. That's the 2 00:00:04.060 --> 00:00:08.060 angle of pointing stability of the ATLAS laser. If you 3 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:12.120 placed a silver dollar 28 miles away from ATLAS, the laser's center 4 00:00:12.140 --> 00:00:16.140 would stay on the coin. That kind of stability is absolutely 5 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:20.160 critical for the spacecraft to measure the height of Earth from orbit. 6 00:00:20.180 --> 00:00:24.220 To ensure pointing stability, ATLAS uses the Beam Steering Mechanism, 7 00:00:24.240 --> 00:00:28.260 which is a motorized mirror that moves to compensate for thermal changes 8 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:32.290 that happen in orbit and prevents the ATLAS beams from bending as they head 9 00:00:32.310 --> 00:00:37.013 for Earth. [music]