NASA Awards 15.9 Million Dollars to Extend UMD-Led GEDI Forest Mission Through October 2029
The University of Maryland announced on November 12 that NASA has selected the University of Maryland-led Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation, or GEDI, for a third mission extension, awarding 15.9 million dollars to continue science operations aboard the International Space Station through October 2029. The decision follows NASA 2026 Senior Review, which evaluated the scientific value and operational performance of the agency Earth-observing missions.
GEDI is led by the University of Maryland in partnership with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Its principal investigator is Distinguished University Professor Ralph Dubayah of the Department of Geographical Sciences. The instrument uses lidar to measure the three-dimensional structure of Earth forests, and provides the only spaceborne lidar observations specifically designed to retrieve forest canopy structure in dense forests.
In the 2026 review, GEDI received an Excellent/Very Good rating for overall science, a High rating for its utility to national interests, and favorable Low ratings for both technical and cost risks. The university department said GEDI has contributed to more than 800 scientific publications since it began operations.
GEDI was launched in December 2018 and began collecting science data in March 2019, with an original mission duration of two years. The extension will bring its record of forest observations to nearly a decade.
NASA Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer, or EDGE, selected in 2026 and currently planned for launch in 2030, builds on the scientific and technological foundation GEDI established. EDGE will use a swath-imaging lidar approach to provide three-dimensional measurements of terrestrial ecosystem structure on a global scale, with University of Maryland researchers playing leading roles.
Source: University of Maryland
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：技术人员正在集成GEDI仪器。来源：NASA戈达德太空飞行中心／Barbara Lambert，公共领域，维基共享资源。 / Photo: Technicians integrating the GEDI instrument. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Barbara Lambert, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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