NASA’s EDGE mission taps Boise State as part of next-generation Earth observation effort

Boise State researchers are part of the team behind the Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer, or EDGE, a satellite mission concept aimed at monitoring Earth's land, ice and coastal regions that NASA selected to launch as early as 2030.

EDGE is one of two next-generation satellite missions announced in February. The mission will help NASA better understand changes to the Earth's surface and will create detailed 3D maps of vegetation, as well as ice formations like glaciers and sea ice. It builds on the work of two existing NASA satellites, but will do it better and more precisely.

This is particularly important for ecosystems in the semi-arid west, where measuring low-height vegetation such as shrubs and vegetation on steep slopes is challenging. Accurate measurement of vegetation in these landscapes is critical for applications including fire management, grazing and recreation. Information that the mission generates will help improve capabilities for assessing pre-fire risk and evaluating post-fire impacts.

Helen Amanda Fricker at UC San Diego will head the mission. Joining Fricker is Boise State's Nancy Glenn, vice president of research and economic development and professor of geosciences.

"Our faculty and students are doing exceptional work to better understand Earth's systems, and this mission creates new opportunities for collaboration across the university and beyond," Glenn said. "Participation in a NASA mission of this scale highlights the growing impact of Boise State as a research university."

Josh Enterkine, research associate in Boise State's geosciences department, also sees the value of this project.

"The EDGE mission's global imaging capability will allow Boise State teams to bridge critical gaps between small-scale drone and ground-based surveys and existing satellite datasets," Enterkine said. "This will help translate fine-scale environmental patterns into broader regional and global insights on wildfires and water systems,."

Example LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data "point cloud" showing vegetation and surface topography. The data is colored by elevation (left, in rainbow), reflectivity "brightness" of the received laser pulse (middle, gray), and surface type such as vegetation, ground and water (right).

Boise State researchers use Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR, data across a wide range of studies - from mapping bird habitats and modeling post-wildfire debris flows in Idaho, to assessing vegetation and carbon storage in forests and rangelands. The data generated through EDGE will support research in these areas, enabling Boise State researchers to advance important work that benefits both the region and the nation.

In a press release issued by NASA, Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, stated, "NASA uses the unique vantage point of space to study our home planet to deliver life-saving data into the hands of disaster response and decision-makers every day for the benefit of all, while also informing future exploration across our solar system. By understanding Earth's surface topography, ecosystems and atmosphere, while also enabling longer range weather forecasting, these missions will help us better study the extreme environments beyond our home planet to ensure the safety of astronauts and spacecraft as we return to the Moon with the Artemis campaign and journey onward to Mars and beyond."

The EDGE project has been selected for continued development as part of NASA's Earth System Explorers Program, which conducts principal investigator-led Earth science missions based on key priorities laid out by the science community and national needs.

The selected missions will advance to the next phase of development, and each mission will be subject to confirmation review in 2027. This review will assess the missions' progress and the availability of funds. If confirmed, the total estimated cost of each mission, not including launch, will not exceed $355 million, with a mission launch date of no earlier than 2030.

For more information about the Earth System Explorers Program, visit their webpage.

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