ICESat-2
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| ICESat-2 | |
|---|---|
| Name | ICESat-2 |
| Mission type | Earth observation |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-070A |
| SATCAT | 43613 |
| Mission duration | 3 years (planned), Elapsed: 5 years, 6 months, 24 days |
| Spacecraft | ICESat-2 |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems |
| Launch mass | 1,514 kg (3,338 lb) |
| Power | 4.2 kW |
| Launch date | 15 September 2018, 13:02 UTC |
| Launch rocket | Delta II 7420-10C |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base, SLC-2W |
| Orbit reference | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Orbit periapsis | 496 km (308 mi) |
| Orbit apoapsis | 511 km (318 mi) |
| Orbit inclination | 92.0° |
| Orbit period | 94.5 minutes |
| Apsis | gee |
| Instruments | Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) |
| Programme | Earth Observing System |
| Previous mission | ICESat |
| Next mission | NISAR |
ICESat-2. The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 is a NASA Earth observation mission designed to measure the changing height of Earth's surface with unprecedented precision. Launched in 2018, it is the successor to the original ICESat mission and a key component of NASA's Earth Observing System. Its primary instrument, the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System, uses laser altimetry to provide critical data on polar ice sheet mass balance, sea ice thickness, and global vegetation canopy height.
Overview
The mission is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center with significant project science leadership from the University of Texas at Austin. Operating in a near-polar orbit, the satellite collects data globally but provides especially crucial observations of the Greenland ice sheet and the Antarctic ice sheet. As a dedicated altimetry mission, it represents a major technological leap over its predecessor and other satellite systems like the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2. The data continuity it provides is essential for long-term climate records maintained by organizations like the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Instrumentation and technology
The sole instrument aboard is the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System, a photon-counting lidar developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It emits green laser pulses at 532 nanometers and splits each pulse into six beams arranged in three pairs. This multi-beam design, combined with a high pulse repetition rate, allows for dense along-track sampling. The technology represents a significant advancement from the analog systems used on ICESat and differs from the radar altimeter on CryoSat-2. Key components include a beryllium telescope and precise star trackers from Terma A/S for attitude determination.
Mission objectives and scientific applications
The primary objective is quantifying polar ice sheet contribution to sea level rise by measuring elevation changes over Greenland and Antarctica. A major scientific application is estimating sea ice freeboard to infer thickness, improving forecasts for the Arctic Ocean. Furthermore, the mission measures global terrain and vegetation height, supporting biomass estimation and carbon cycle research. Data also refine knowledge of inland water levels, cloud properties, and aerosol distributions, contributing to studies by the World Meteorological Organization.
Data products and accessibility
The mission generates standardized data products processed by the NASA ICESat-2 Science Team. These include specific products for land ice, sea ice, land vegetation, and inland water height. All data are publicly accessible through the National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center and NASA's Earthdata Search portal. The open data policy enables widespread use by international researchers, agencies like the United States Geological Survey, and initiatives such as the Arctic Council.
Launch and mission history
The satellite launched on 15 September 2018 aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch marked the final flight of the Delta II vehicle. Commissioning and calibration of the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System were completed by late 2018, with full science operations beginning thereafter. The mission has far exceeded its planned three-year lifespan, continuing to operate nominally and providing a critical decade-long record when combined with data from ICESat and other missions like GRACE-FO.
See also
* CryoSat-2 * GRACE-FO * Landsat program * Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich * Earth Observing System
Category:NASA satellites Category:Earth observation satellites Category:Spacecraft launched in 2018