GEDI (on ISS)

GEDI is mounted on the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) on the International Space Station, where it was installed in December 2018 following delivery on a SpaceX cargo resupply mission. From this position, the instrument fires three lasers downward through Earth's atmosphere to measure forest canopy structure.

GEDI uses a full-waveform lidar system operating at 1064 nanometers to measure forest canopy height, vertical structure, and ground elevation between approximately 51.6°N and 51.6°S latitude. These measurements are converted into estimates of above-ground biomass density and carbon stocks across the world's temperate and tropical forests.

Yes, GEDI data products are freely available through NASA's Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). The Level 4A products, which provide above-ground biomass density estimates, are among the most widely used datasets by forest researchers studying global carbon dynamics.

GEDI's primary mission was planned for two years, but the instrument has received multiple mission extensions from NASA, continuing to collect data into the mid-2020s. Operations were briefly paused to accommodate other ISS payloads but data collection has consistently resumed.