Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2)

In this photo the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System instrument, which flies on the ICESat-2 satellite, sits in a clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credits: NASA/Jeffrey Twum
In this photo the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System instrument, which flies on the ICESat-2 satellite, sits in a clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Credits: NASA/Jeffrey Twum

Allowing Scientists to Measure the Elevation of Ice Sheets, Glaciers, Sea Ice and More

The Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, measures the height of a changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses a second. Launched September 15, 2018, ICESat-2 carries a photon-counting laser altimeter that allows scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice and more – all in unprecedented detail. Our planet’s frozen and icy areas, called the cryosphere, are a key focus of NASA’s Earth science research. ICESat-2 helps scientists investigate why, and how much, our cryosphere is changing in a warming climate. The satellite also measures heights across Earth’s temperate and tropical regions, and takes stock of the vegetation in forests worldwide.

ICESat-2’s spacecraft provides power, propulsion, orbit, navigation, data storage and handling, and more. It features an incredibly precise knowledge of the satellite’s position in space – critical for taking measurements.

Learn More