Three distinct ice type regimes at Ice Station Belgica (ISB), during the 2007 IPY SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance In Antarctica) expedition, were geophysically characterized and assessed for elevation, snow depth and ice freeboard and thickness with the resultant probability distribution functions indicating great potential for buoyancy-based ice-thickness estimations from satellite (laser and radar) altimetry. In question is the required satellite altimeter sampling density and spot (footprint) size for reasonably accurate estimation of snow surface elevation and ultimately the derived ice thickness, given inherent spatial averaging. Presented in this study is an effort to determine the number, frequency and spatial orientation of satellite-based laser altimeter ‘hits’ of the Belgica floe as a representative Antarctic floe of mixed first- and multi-year ice types, for the purpose of statistically recreating the in situ-determined ice-thickness and snow-depth distribution based on the area proportionality of each ice type. Estimates of the fractional coverage and spatial distribution of the ice types for the 5 × 10⁶ m² (5 km²) ISB floe, herein referred to as the ice ‘towns’ Brussels, Patria/Liege and Fabra, were assessed by in situ mapping, photographic documentation and analysis of radar imagery. Random simulated altimeter tracks with varying spot size and spacing will sample the floe's ice towns, generating a buoyancy-derived ice-thickness distribution from altimeter elevation, representative constituent densities and each town's known freeboard characteristics. Results from this study will have significant implications toward development of a statistical model of sea-ice sampling performance of the present IceSat laser altimeter as well as maximizing sampling characteristics of future laser and perhaps radar altimetry missions for sea-ice thickness.