Operation and performance of a lunar laser ranging station.

The Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment has been in continuous operation for about 4 years using the McDonald Observatory 2.7-m telescope. Occupying only a small percentage of the available telescope time, the system is now measuring 350 lunar ranges per year, each with an accuracy of from 10 cm to 15 cm. This article tabulates the observed signal strengths, the success ratios, and the major operating restrictions that have characterized the daily performance of the experiment. These empirical data can be used to optimize the design of such installations in the future.