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Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar (EVI-2) (GEDI on ISS)
Status:
Current, Extended Mission
Mission Category:
Earth System Science Pathfinder Program, Earth Venture Class, Earth Venture-Instrument
Launch Date: December 5, 2018
Launch Location: Cape Canaveral
Designed Life: December 5, 2020
Launched December 5, 2018, the scientific goal of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar (GEDI) is to characterize the effects of changing climate and land use on ecosystem structure and dynamics to enable radically improved quantification and understanding of the Earth's carbon cycle and biodiversity. Focused on tropical and temperate forests from its vantage point on the International Space Station (ISS), GEDI uses lidar to provide the first global, high-resolution observations of forest vertical structure. GEDI addresses three, core science questions: (Q1) What is the aboveground carbon balance of the land surface? (Q2) What role will the land surface play in mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide in the coming decades? (Q3) How does ecosystem structure affect habitat quality and biodiversity? Answering these questions is critical for understanding the future path of global climate change and the Earth’s biodiversity.
Key Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation Lidar (EVI-2) Facts
| Mission/Portal Page: | https://gedi.umd.edu |
|---|---|
| Launch Vehicle: | Falcon 9 |
| Altitude:Distance from sea level. | 400km |
| Inclination: | 51.6° |
| Origination: | NASA |
| Instruments: |
LIDAR |
| Principal Investigator(s): |
Ralph Dubayah, University of Maryland |
| Other Key Personnel: |
Jim Pontius Barbara Hilton |