+44 (0)24 7671 8970
More publications     •     Advertise with us     •     Contact us
 
Loading...
News Article

New LiDAR System to Map Earth's Forests

News

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) LiDAR is being assembled in a cleanroom at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Image courtesy of NASA.

A laser instrument designed to map the world's forests in high-resolution 3D is undergoing final integration and testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, according to NASA and the University of Maryland. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) instrument is expected to launch aboard SpaceX's 16th commercial resupply services mission, targeted for late 2018. The GEDI project is being led by the University of Maryland and is being built at NASA Goddard.

A LiDAR instrument, GEDI has three lasers that will produce eight ground tracks. The laser pulses will reflect off clouds, trees, and the planet's surface as the space station and GEDI orbit Earth. While the instrument will gather height information about everything in its path, it is specifically designed to measure forests. The amount and intensity of the light that bounces back to GEDI's telescope will reveal details about the height and density of trees and vegetation, including the structure of leaves and branches within a forest's canopy.

GEDI will be the first space-borne laser instrument to measure the structure of Earth's tropical and temperate forests in high resolution and three dimensions. These measurements will help fill in critical gaps in scientists' understanding of how much carbon is stored in the world's forests, the potential for ecosystems to absorb rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere, and the impact of forest changes on biodiversity, according to program managers.

The team is now preparing to put GEDI through a battery of prelaunch tests to ensure it is ready to withstand the rigors of launch and operating in space.

"Scientists have been planning for decades to get comprehensive information about the structure of forests from space to deepen our understanding of how this structure impacts carbon resources and biodiversity across large regions and even globally, as well as a host of other science issues," said professor Ralph Dubayah. "This is why seeing the instrument built and racing toward launch is so exciting."

EMCORE announces integration of PICs into its products
Scottish photonics consortium wins £4.7m in UKRI funding
Yuanjie Semiconductor to supply lasers to POET
Fraunhofer IPMS announces government funding for quantum photonic chip
POET Technologies partners with Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology
SiLC announces silicon photonics systems for machine vision
Scientists develop novel optical modulators for integrated photonics
Scientists report integrated photodiodes on TFLN
Coherent wins award for innovative photonics product
FBH to present quantum technology developments at EQTC 2023
Skorpios and FormericaOE demonstrate PICs in 800G optical transceivers
EFFECT Photonics verifies fully integrated InP PIC
NASA awards grant for silicon photonics project
OpenLight and Spark Photonics partner on PIC design services
DustPhotonics announces 800G chip for hyperscale data centres and AI
Lightwave Logic Receives Industry Innovation Award
Imec announces SiGe BiCMOS optical receiver
SiFotonics announces silicon photonics 800G LPO solutions
Rockley Photonics progresses noninvasive biomarker monitoring
MantiSpectra secures €4 million for miniaturised spectrometers
Sivers to demo next-gen laser arrays at ECOC 2023
ASMPT AMICRA and Teramount collaborate on silicon photonics packaging
Quantum Computing Inc. selects Arizona site for photonic chip foundry
German government to fund ams OSRAM optoelectronic semiconductor development
Luceda Photonics introduces new PIC design software
Vodafone explores silicon photonics for future mobile networks
Coherent introduces 1200 mW pump laser module
Photonics startups invited to apply to Luminate NY accelerator
New tool could improve lithography for smaller, faster chips
InP-based lasers surpass 2.2 mm
Indie Semiconductor buys Exalos AG
New technique controls direction and wavelength of emitted heat

×
Search the news archive

To close this popup you can press escape or click the close icon.
Logo
×
Logo
×
Register - Step 1

You may choose to subscribe to the PIC Magazine, the PIC Newsletter, or both. You may also request additional information if required, before submitting your application.


Please subscribe me to:

 

You chose the industry type of "Other"

Please enter the industry that you work in:
Please enter the industry that you work in: