NASA’s ICESat-2 Just Hit 2 Trillion Laser Pulses — And The Data Reveals Alarming Ice Loss

The NASA ICESSate-2 satellite set out to space on 15 September 2018 to monitor the Earth’s changing ice sheet, glaciers and other environmental features. In the space of seven years, this satellite has been able to fire over two trillion laser pulses from space towards Earth.

Tracking Earth’s Changing Ice Sheets One Laser Pulse At A Time

On 9 March 2025, the NASA ICESat-2 satellite fired its two trillionth laser pulse from space, marking a great milestone for the mission. This two millionth laser pulse was aimed towards East Antarctica and measured cloud formations over the region.

Each ICESat-2 firing from space contains 10,000 lasers per second helping the satellite to build a detailed 3D Mapping of Earth’s surface to record each change. Over the years of its operation, this satellite has proven to be crucial for observing and predicting climate change in various regions around Earth.

It is easy to imagine that this satellite might be approaching the end of its operational life after constantly firing laser pulses at Earth for over seven years. Well, that isn’t the case as the NASA ICESat-2 is still running strong, and it is predicted that this satellite will be operational for the next decade.

While this is impressive, it is important to have a backup satellite ready to run in any event of malfunction from the ICESat-2. A replacement for this satellite might go into development soon to ensure that the mission to monitor Earth’s changing ice sheets and glaciers doesn’t face any roadblocks.

This replacement might be ready as early as 2030 and stay on stand-by while the existing satellite continues its work from space. The replacement satellite will also feature the precision laser ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System).

Some Remarkable Observations From The NASA ICESat-2

One of the remarkable observations from the NASA ICESat-2 satellite is that of the Vanderford Glacier in East Antarctica. This is one of the fastest retreating ice glaciers in the region and the ICESat-2 satellite has been tracking it between 2019 and 2022.

From its tracking scientists at NASA were able to observe a six-foot drop in the elevation of the ice surface. Tracking data from the satellite was also able to record a rebound in the elevation of the Vanderford Glacier in 2023.

Further studies between 2019 and 2022 revealed that warmer ocean waters making their way into the Arctic were responsible for the depreciating size of the glacier. In 2024 data collected from the satellite revealed that yet again the Vanderford Glacier was melting.

NASA ICESat-2 doesn’t limit itself to just monitoring the Earth’s ice sheets and glaciers. It also measures forest heights, tracks inland water levels, and maps out coastal and deep-sea topography.