Konrad Wessels, associate professor of geography and geoinformation science at George Mason University, is part of a NASA-funded team working on the Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer mission (EDGE), according to an April 15 announcement. The EDGE mission aims to track changes in ice levels and ecosystem carbon stocks using imaging laser altimetry from space, with potential impacts on climate resilience planning, disaster management, ocean navigation, and national security.
The EDGE satellite system will be the first of its kind to use imaging laser altimetry—a technique that sends pulses of light toward Earth and measures their return time—to create detailed maps of land elevation, glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, and forest structure. If confirmed for launch no earlier than 2030, the total estimated cost for EDGE will not exceed $355 million excluding launch expenses.
“The NASA EDGE mission will generate high-resolution, three-dimensional views of forests and savanna ecosystems, along with detailed measurements of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice,” said Wessels. “Together, this data will help scientists better understand how ice and forests are changing over time. It also has a rapid response capability which can collect higher-detail data in case of emergencies or natural disasters.” Wessels has focused on ensuring the mission accurately tracks changes in global forests and savannas by helping develop a Science Traceability Matrix that links scientific objectives to measurement requirements such as forest height and biomass/carbon stocks.
Wessels said monitoring global forest carbon stocks is essential: “Tracking global forest carbon stocks is critical for understanding how Earth is responding to environmental change especially since carbon emissions from land-use change and forest degradation rival those from the entire transportation sector.” He added that improved monitoring could inform efforts aimed at protecting biodiversity as well as ecosystem services worldwide.
The project brings together 25 scientists from institutions around the world. Helen Amanda Fricker serves as principal investigator; John Armston is deputy principal investigator; Bryan Blair leads instrument development; Scott Luthcke serves as project scientist—all under NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Nicky Fox from NASA Headquarters described EDGE’s importance: “By understanding Earth’s surface topography ecosystems and atmosphere these missions will help us better study the extreme environments beyond our home planet…as we return to the Moon with the Artemis campaign.”
Deputy PI Armston praised Wessels’ role: “Konrad has helped shape EDGE’s science to capture the dynamics of savanna ecosystems…and will play a key role in calibration and validation efforts across terrestrial ecosystems.” The terrestrial ecosystem structure team includes researchers from several universities worldwide while another group focuses on measuring changes in polar regions. The project continues under NASA’s Earth System Explorers Program with a confirmation review set for 2027.
