NASA Selects EDGE Mission for Advanced Earth Monitoring

NASA has selected the Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer (EDGE) mission for further development. This mission, if fully approved in 2027, will contribute to global monitoring of ice-covered regions.

Mission Overview

EDGE is characterized as the world’s initial global, swath-imaging LiDAR satellite. It is designed to simultaneously monitor land, ice, and coastal regions.

The mission is led by Helen Amanda Fricker from the University of California San Diego, who also directs the Scripps Polar Center.

The satellite aims to provide global coverage by acquiring continuous data across five 120-meter-wide swaths. This approach offers higher resolution than previous satellite altimeters. EDGE will build upon data acquisition experience from NASA’s ICESat-2 and GEDI missions.

Capabilities and Applications

EDGE is intended to measure vertical differences with an accuracy of less than three centimeters from an orbit 390 kilometers above Earth. It will feature 40 LiDAR beams, a significant increase from the six beams on ICESat-2.

The mission's applications extend beyond ice monitoring to include biodiversity monitoring, fire risk assessment, and carbon storage accounting.

It is expected to provide detailed views of ice sheets, glaciers, and ice shelves, supporting the tracking of changes in the cryosphere. Additionally, EDGE will enable 3D forest habitat monitoring.

Development Timeline and Collaborations

EDGE, alongside another mission named STRIVE, will undergo additional development. A progress and funding review for these missions is scheduled for 2027.

If approved, launches for these missions are projected to occur no earlier than 2030.

Australian scientists are involved in the EDGE project, including Dr. Alex Fraser from the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP) at the University of Tasmania, who will use the satellite for sea-ice coverage research. Dr. Petra Heil, an AAPP affiliate, is also a collaborator.