Fig. 1. The Apollo 15 ruby laser altimeter and the elevation measurement^[1-2]

Fig. 2. MOLA and measured 3D topographic map of Mars^[3]

Fig. 3. LOLA and 3D elevation map of the lunar surface^[4-5]

Fig. 4. Lunar laser altimeter. (a) Japanese lunar laser altimeter^[6]; (b) Indian lunar laser altimeter^[8]

Fig. 5. GLAS spaceborne lidar structure^[9]

Fig. 6. GLAS spaceborne lidar measurement. (a) Arctic sea ice cover^[19]; (b) global forest cover^[20]

Fig. 7. Diagram of the operating mode of the ICEsat-2 satellite laser altimeter and the measured ice surface elevation and thickness changes^[24]

Fig. 8. Arctic sea ice height changes measured by the ICEsat-2 satellite laser altimeter^[21]

Fig. 9. Measurement of ICEsat-2 satellite laser altimeter. (a) Elevation profile of vegetation cover^[22]; (b) optical parameter profiles of the marine subsurface^[23]

Fig. 10. LITE^[27] and the measured vertical profiles of the atmosphere^[26]

Fig. 11. Schematic of the CALIOP system^[16]

Fig. 12. Attenuated backscattering signal acquired by the CALIOP^[28]. (a) 532 nm total backscattering signal; (b) 532 nm polarization backscattering signal; (c) 1064 nm backscattering signal

Fig. 13. Long-range transport of aerosols from the Sahara Desert monitored by the CALIOP in August 2007^[30]

Fig. 14. Diagram of CATS multi-wavelength lidar structure^[31]

Fig. 15. Measurement of CATS multi-wavelength lidar^[31]. (a) Vertical profile of the 532 nm attenuated total backscattering; (b) vertical profile of the 1064 nm depolarization ratio

Fig. 16. Atmospheric backscattering signals from the 1064 nm and 532 nm channels acquired by the GLAS in October 2003^[32]

Fig. 17. 532 nm cloud and aerosol profiles acquired by the ICEsat-2 ATLAS on October 17, 2018^[33]

Fig. 18. EarthCARE ATLID lidar prototype^[34]

Fig. 19. Schematic diagram of ALADIN in orbit^[35]

Fig. 20. Global line-of-sight wind speed profile obtained by the ALADIN^[17,37]

Fig. 21. Schematic diagram of the ASCENDS lidar measurement concept^[39]

Fig. 22. Schematic diagram of lidar. (a) Greenhouse gas detection lidar A-SCOPE^[41]; (b) spaceborne lidar satellite MERLIN

Fig. 23. Chang’e-1 laser altimeter and the acquired DEM map of the moon^[11]

Fig. 24. ZY3-02 laser altimeter^[12]

Fig. 25. GF-7 satellite laser altimeter and land elevation measurement result^[13,45]

Fig. 26. Terrestrial ecosystem carboninventory satellite and multi-beam lidar^[46,14]

Fig. 27. Atmospheric environment monitoring satellite and atmospheric detection lidar ACDL

Fig. 28. Global CO₂ column concentration in July 2022 measured by the ACDL lidar

Fig. 29. Profile of attenuated backscattering coefficient of the typical clouds and aerosols from the ACDL^[18]

Fig. 30. Cloud and aerosol optical parameter profiles of the ACDL^[51]. (a) Backscattering coefficient; (b) extinction coefficient;