A lightweight, low-cost, and highly sensitive aerosol sensor measures aerosol concentrations remotely. A fiber laser sends pulses outward toward the target area from a carbon-fiber telescope using ultra-lightweight optical elements. Light is received back in the same telescope or in another similar telescope depending on the aerosol concentration or other contents of the atmosphere. The sensor is lightweight, low-cost and has high performance. The system also measures aerosol profiles over a hemispherical volume to produce a three-dimensional measurement within the range of the laser.