Since 2003, NASA’s satellite laser altimetry missions have transformed Earth observation through unparalleled precision and resolution in elevation retrieval over multiple surface types. The Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat and ICESat-2) and Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) missions carry multi-beam instruments that provide global coverage, enabling monitoring of Earth’s key vital signs. This interdisciplinary session highlights key mission findings, including loss of glaciers, ice sheets and sea ice; terrestrial carbon, vegetation structure, and biodiversity; and global mapping of topography, water, sea level, bathymetry, and atmospheric processes. Selected in February 2026 as an Earth System Explorer mission for launch in 2030, EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) continues these records, using an innovative multifunction imaging lidar to enhance spatial and temporal sampling to capture the processes driving change. EDGE will revolutionize how we track Earth’s shifting dynamic systems, with direct applications for national security, economic resilience, and environmental decision-making.

• B - Biogeosciences
• C - Cryosphere
• GC - Global Environmental Change