NASA Goddard Lidar Team Receives Center Innovation Award for Advancements
November 15, 2024
Greenbelt, Md. — NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Lidar Team has been recognized with the center’s 2024 Innovation Award for their significant contributions to the advancement of lidar technology.
Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technique that uses laser pulses to measure distances by detecting the reflected light. The Goddard Lidar Team has developed and implemented numerous lidar instruments on spacecraft and airborne platforms, providing valuable data for Earth science, atmospheric science, and planetary exploration.
The team’s innovative work has been instrumental in enhancing our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, surface, and oceans. Their lidar instruments have been used to study clouds, aerosols, ice sheets, vegetation, and coastal processes. In addition, the team has developed lidar technologies for planetary missions, including the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission and the Europa Clipper mission.
One of the team’s most notable achievements is the development of the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which is a lidar instrument onboard the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission. ATLAS provides high-resolution elevation data of Earth’s surface, oceans, and sea ice. This data is used to study changes in ice sheets, sea level, and vegetation.
The team has also made significant advancements in the development of lidar for space-based atmospheric profiling. Their Raman lidar instruments have been used to measure temperature, wind velocity, and aerosol profiles in the atmosphere. This data is essential for understanding atmospheric dynamics, climate change, and air quality.
The NASA Goddard Lidar Team is comprised of scientists, engineers, and technicians who are dedicated to advancing lidar technology and its applications. Their innovative work has made a profound impact on our understanding of Earth and other planets, and their research continues to drive the frontiers of lidar science.
For their outstanding contributions, the Goddard Lidar Team has been awarded the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 2024 Innovation Award. This prestigious award is given annually to recognize exceptional achievements in innovative research and technology development. The team was honored at a ceremony at the Goddard Space Flight Center on November 15, 2024.
“The Goddard Lidar Team is a shining example of the innovation and creativity that drives NASA’s scientific research,” said Dr. Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division. “Their work has provided us with invaluable data that has transformed our understanding of Earth and its atmosphere.”
The team’s research will continue to be essential for addressing critical scientific questions and informing policy decisions related to climate change, environmental protection, and planetary exploration. Their innovative work is a testament to NASA’s commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and improving our understanding of the world around us.
NASA Goddard Lidar Team Receives Center Innovation Award for Advancements
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