Earth orbit
EDGE
NASA's EDGE mission will map the three-dimensional structure of ecosystems and the topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice.
NASA selected EDGE for continued development; confirmation is planned for 2027 and the latest official portfolio lists a 2030 planned launch.
View in 3D map ↗Official mission site ↗The mission
EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) is a NASA Earth System Explorers mission selected for continued development. It will observe terrestrial ecosystem structure and ice elevation to improve records of vegetation and the changing cryosphere.
The launch
- Launch
- No earlier than 2030
- Launch location
- Not documented
- Launch vehicle
- Not documented
- Orbit
- Sun-synchronous orbit
Mission timeline
Follow the mission through its available trajectory data in the full 3D solar-system map.
Selected for continued development
February 5, 2026 · Earth orbit
NASA selected EDGE as an Earth System Explorers mission for continued development, pending a 2027 confirmation review.
Open milestone source ↗Objectives
- 01
Measure the three-dimensional structure of terrestrial ecosystems.
- 02
Map the topography of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice to track change.
Spacecraft
EDGE spacecraft
NASA Earth System Explorers satellite mission for ecosystem-structure and ice-elevation observations.
Gallery
One image from EDGE.
Community discussion
Comments 0
No comments yet. The airlock is open.
Sign in or create an account to comment and vote.