Mapping Beyond Earth

Geodesy has always been about understanding shape, gravity, and motion—but lately, it’s breaking free from Earth’s boundaries. Extraterrestrial geodesy is the growing science of applying geodetic techniques to other celestial bodies: the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and even icy moons like Europa and Enceladus. As exploration moves deeper into the solar system, so does our need for precise coordinates, stable reference frames, and accurate gravity models beyond our home planet.

On the Moon, geodesy is already in full swing. Data from missions like NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission have given scientists the most detailed map of lunar gravity ever created. These measurements reveal how crustal structures, buried basins, and ancient lava flows shape the Moon’s interior. Establishing a permanent lunar reference frame is now a top priority, especially with NASA’s Artemis program aiming to return humans to the surface. A reliable lunar geodetic system—essentially a “Moon GPS”—will be crucial for navigation, construction, and scientific operations on the lunar surface.

Mars has its own story. Orbiters like Mars Global Surveyor and the ongoing Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have provided precise topography and gravity data that rival what we once had for Earth decades ago. Planetary geodesists have used these datasets to build Mars’s reference ellipsoid, measure crustal thickness variations, and even detect shifts in its polar ice caps. As future human missions prepare for landing, the need for a unified Martian coordinate system grows. NASA and ESA scientists are already discussing how to synchronize rover and orbiter data into a stable “Mars Terrestrial Reference Frame,” allowing surface operations to navigate with centimeter-scale precision.

Extraterrestrial geodesy isn’t limited to big planets or moons—it’s transforming how we study small bodies too. Missions like OSIRIS-REx (to asteroid Bennu) and Japan’s Hayabusa2 (to Ryugu) have used laser altimeters, radio tracking, and photogrammetry to map tiny worlds with astonishing detail. Understanding an asteroid’s gravity field helps scientists predict spin dynamics, landing trajectories, and the safe collection of samples. In the outer solar system, missions like JUICE and Europa Clipper will apply geodetic principles to explore subsurface oceans, measuring tidal flexing and surface displacement to infer internal structure.

What’s exciting is that extraterrestrial geodesy isn’t a separate discipline—it’s geodesy evolving to meet the cosmos. Every tool developed for Earth, from GNSS-style tracking to gravity inversion models, is being adapted for new worlds. In many ways, planetary exploration is now following the same path geodesy took on Earth: establishing reference frames, refining gravity models, and building navigation systems from scratch. As we map the Moon, Mars, and beyond, geodesy is quietly becoming the universal language of exploration—linking every world we reach with the same precision and curiosity that started right here at home. 

NSF vs NASA

When it comes to advancing geodesy, both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA play essential but very different roles. They often work toward the same goal—understanding our planet’s shape, gravity, and motion—but their approaches reflect their distinct missions. NSF focuses on investigator-driven research and academic discovery, while NASA leads large-scale missions, satellite programs, and data infrastructure that make global geodesy possible. Together, they form the backbone of how we measure Earth’s dynamic systems.

NSF’s role in geodesy is rooted in curiosity and fundamental science. Its Earth Sciences Division (EAR) funds research that digs into the processes shaping the solid Earth—crustal deformation, fault mechanics, and the physics of tectonic movement. Through facilities like UNAVCO (now part of EarthScope Consortium), NSF supports continental-scale GNSS networks, high-precision instruments, and field campaigns that capture the subtle shifts of our crust in real time. These efforts feed into understanding hazards like earthquakes, volcanoes, and subsidence, as well as long-term landscape evolution. NSF grants also power theoretical and computational geodesy, helping scientists model the interplay between geophysical processes and surface deformation. This kind of research doesn’t always grab headlines, but it lays the scientific foundation for the entire field.

NASA, on the other hand, approaches geodesy from above—literally. Its focus lies in satellite-based Earth observation, integrating radar, laser ranging, and gravimetry missions to monitor how the planet changes over time. Programs like GRACE-FO, ICESat-2, and Sentinel-6 are NASA’s flagship geodesy missions, each revealing different aspects of Earth’s mass balance, elevation, and sea-level dynamics. NASA’s Space Geodesy Project is modernizing global reference frame infrastructure by upgrading VLBI, SLR, and GNSS sites worldwide, ensuring millimeter-level accuracy across the planet. While NSF tends to fund the “why” and “how” behind the movements, NASA provides the “what” and “where,” generating global datasets that other agencies, universities, and even industries rely on.

What makes the NSF–NASA relationship powerful is how complementary their strengths are. NSF’s open grant model encourages creativity, small-scale experimentation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, while NASA’s mission-based structure guarantees continuity, precision, and long-term global coverage. Many of the most impactful discoveries—like linking satellite gravity data to groundwater loss or crustal deformation—exist because the two systems overlap. NSF-funded researchers analyze NASA-generated data, and NASA missions rely on NSF-supported ground networks for calibration and validation.

In a time when budgets are tightening and priorities are shifting toward climate resilience and sustainability, this partnership matters more than ever. NSF keeps geodesy innovative and exploratory, while NASA keeps it global and operational. One thrives on ideas, the other on infrastructure. Together, they ensure that geodesy remains both a frontier of discovery and a cornerstone of Earth observation—bridging the sky and the ground in one shared mission to understand our changing planet. 

Post Number 100!

I would like to thank each and every one of you for joining me on this blogging journey for over a year and through 100 posts! What started as a small idea to share updates about satellites, GNSS, and gravity has grown into a global conversation about how we measure and understand our planet. Along the way,  everything from shifting tectonic plates to sea-level rise and the incredible precision of atomic clocks has been covered. I have had a lot of fun and learned a lot while doing this, so here's to many more posts in the future! Please contact me with any questions or concerns regarding any of the content on this website! I look forward to hearing from you all :)

Funding Changes in Geodesy

In a science field so dependent on instrumentation, infrastructure, and long-term consistency, changes in funding policy are more than administrative—they change what questions we can ask, where we can measure, and which communities thrive. Over the past year, several shifts—some tentative, some stark—have begun to reshape the funding landscape for geodesy and allied Earth sciences. Below are key themes, their implications, and where momentum may head next.

1. Budget Pressure and Proposed Cuts: A Challenging Horizon

One of the most visible trends is a tightening in federal budgets, especially within U.S. agencies that historically have supported geodetic science. The White House’s proposed FY 2026 budget includes severe cuts to NASA’s science missions—potentially trimming Earth science, climate, and mission portfolios by nearly 24 percent or more. Such reductions would ripple into satellite missions, data continuity, and downstream geodetic infrastructure support. Simultaneously, concerns are mounting around the National Science Foundation (NSF). There is growing alarm in higher-education and research circles about grant cancellations or scaling back of support across STEM disciplines, including geology, geophysics, and geoscience. Within the Earth Sciences Division (EAR), NSF has already realigned its disciplinary funding framework to four new program thrusts—Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes; Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth; Earth Surface Dynamics; and Earth System Evolution—a move intended to sharpen focus but one that may shift funding away from more traditional geodesy proposals. These pressures come amidst institutional cuts: for example, the University of Maryland (College Park) has announced reductions in its Earth science programs, citing dwindling external support and long-term uncertainties.

2. Strategic Rebalancing and Emerging Priorities

It’s not all contraction, however—some agencies are redirecting resources toward areas of high urgency or interdisciplinarity. NSF’s reconfiguration of EAR programs reflects an intent to place greater weight on integrated Earth system, landscape evolution, and critical zone science, which may elevate proposals linking geodesy to hydrology, carbon cycling, or biospheric change. At NASA, annual solicitations such as ROSES remain open—ROSES-2025, for instance, continues to solicit Earth and space science proposals, affording opportunities even in a constrained year. Internationally, societies are stepping in to buffer shortfalls. The Geological Society of America (GSA) and its foundation recently approved record support for geoscience grants, travel awards, student programs, and outreach in response to funding uncertainty. Their move underlines how societies are becoming more active players in sustaining the research ecosystem.

3. Infrastructure and Facility Support: Strategic Investments

Even amid fiscal strain, investment is flowing into next-generation geodetic infrastructure—though with tighter scrutiny. NASA’s Space Geodesy Project (SGP) remains a flagship effort to build and maintain a global network integrating VLBI, SLR, DORIS, and GNSS. That kind of capital investment shows the enduring priority assigned to reference frame continuity and instrument modernization, even when discretionary programmatic budgets are under stress. But maintaining these facilities, deploying new sites, and ensuring operational continuity is costly. With reduced operating budgets, many institutions may struggle to keep up with maintenance, data calibration, or upgrades.

4. Impacts on Early Career, Equity, and Diversity

In funding downturns, junior scientists often bear disproportionate risk. Early-career investigators may find it harder to secure first grants; travel and conference funding largely get deprioritized; and programmatic support for inclusion, mentorship, and student engagement may shrink. The GSA’s infusion of funds into travel awards and equity programs is thus especially timely. Additionally, shifts in program focus may favor “hot topics” such as carbon cycling, resilience, and climate adaptation over foundational geodesy, making proposal success contingent on framing geodetic science as a supporting role rather than a primary thrust.

5. Navigating Forward: Strategies and Recommendations

Moving forward, geodesists can adapt by aligning with mission priorities, framing proposals around societal needs such as sea level, subsidence, and water tables; building interdisciplinary collaborations; leveraging institutional and society grants; and emphasizing data reuse and cost efficiency. Advocacy remains crucial—the community must continue making the case for public investment in Earth system understanding.

Conclusion

The funding landscape in geodesy is undergoing a moment of reckoning. Flat or shrinking budgets, evolving agency priorities, and the tightrope between foundational measurement and societally relevant science all converge to challenge traditional models. Yet within these shifts lie opportunities: to redefine geodesy’s role in Earth system science, to build stronger partnerships, and to safeguard critical infrastructure. Success will depend on strategic adaptation, community coordination, and resilient advocacy for the unseen backbone of much of Earth observation—the precision measurement of our changing planet.

AGU Highlights 2025

Recognizing Excellence: 2025 AGU Geodesy Honors

The AGU Geodesy Section has announced its 2025 awardees, celebrating contributions that connect precision measurement with planetary insight.

• Helen A. Fricker (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) will deliver the William Bowie Lecture, honoring her pioneering work in satellite altimetry and Antarctic ice dynamics.

• Jérôme Benveniste (ESA) earns the Ivan I. Mueller Award for Distinguished Service and Leadership, recognizing his decades of coordination within the altimetry and GGOS communities.

• Wenbin Xu (University of Hong Kong) receives the John Wahr Early Career Award for his innovative integration of InSAR, GNSS, and modeling to study crustal deformation.

• Felix W. Landerer (NASA JPL) is named an AGU Fellow, honoring his leadership in Earth system mass change research.

Together, these honorees represent the bridge between geodesy’s theoretical rigor and its impact on climate, hazards, and resource management.

Looking Ahead: AGU25 in New Orleans

The AGU Annual Meeting 2025 (December 15–19, New Orleans) will spotlight “Science for a Resilient Planet.” The Geodesy Section will feature over 50 sessions on topics such as reference frame modernization, satellite gravimetry, GNSS infrastructure, and the expanding field of chronometric geodesy—using atomic clocks to measure gravity potential.
The GGOS (Global Geodetic Observing System) will also host a dedicated track highlighting how global networks and open data standards are accelerating multi-mission integration. Early-career scientists are particularly encouraged to submit abstracts and compete for the Outstanding Student Presentation Awards (OSPA).

Journal & Research Highlights

Recent AGU journal releases underscore geodesy’s cross-disciplinary reach.

• Geophysical Research Letters featured new results using GRACE-FO data to track water mass loss in Central Asia.

• JGR: Solid Earth published a study on how tectonic strain inferred from GNSS data correlates with fault stress accumulation, offering predictive insights for seismic hazard models.

• In Reviews of Geophysics, a special issue on relativistic geodesy explores how space-based clocks may redefine global height systems by the 2030s.

Community & Collaboration

Beyond the science, AGU continues to expand open access and outreach. Its Bridge Program has connected over 1,000 early-career researchers from underrepresented groups with mentors in Earth and space science. Meanwhile, AGU’s growing partnership with the IPCC ensures that geodetic data increasingly informs climate assessments and policy.

Geodesy News

This month in geodesy has been rich with advances, events, and community movement across reference frames, Earth observation, education, and infrastructure. Here’s a roundup of the most notable stories.

1. IAG Scientific Assembly 2025: “Geodesy for a Changing Environment”

Preparations and programming for the IAG Scientific Assembly, to be held 1–5 September 2025 in Rimini, Italy, have been firmly set. 

 With 300 oral and 388 poster contributions accepted, the conference promises a broad cross-section of geodesy research. 

 New this year: integration of GGOS Days into the assembly program, with dedicated GGOS symposia and a GGOS Governing Board meeting embedded during the event. 

 The theme, “Geodesy for a Changing Environment”, underscores the field’s central role in monitoring climate, sea-level, mass redistribution, and more. 

IAG has also expanded travel funding: in addition to existing support, all early-career scientists (ECS) — including those in high-income countries — are eligible for a special allocation. 

2. Virtual Education & Summer Schools

The 2025 Geodesy Virtual School, held in early June, centered on the terrestrial reference frame and Earth system monitoring, with lectures delivered in both English and Spanish (with subtitles). 

 The program reached a global audience and remains freely accessible via recorded videos. 

Meanwhile, the 11th Nordic Geodetic Commission Summer School, “From Struve to Space,” convened in Tartu, Estonia (Aug 25–29, 2025), bringing 61 participants from 13 countries to blend geodesy history, modern GNSS methods, and machine learning applications. 

 Looking ahead, the 16th SIRGAS School on VLBI and SLR data processing is being planned for October 27–November 1, 2025, in San Juan, Argentina. 

3. Satellite, Clocks & Gravity Innovations

In orbit, the NISAR mission—launched via ISRO’s GSLV in July 2025—has begun its 90-day commissioning phase. 

 As of late summer, the satellite successfully deployed its primary radar reflectors and has started returning first SAR images. 

NISAR’s radar capabilities are expected to make significant contributions to surface change detection, cryosphere monitoring, and geodesy at large scales.

On the precision frontier, researchers are increasingly focusing on chronometric geodesy—using ultra-precise atomic clocks to infer gravitational potential differences. A recent article describes how the ESA’s ACES mission, now installed on the International Space Station, could be leveraged to tighten links between orbiting clocks and ground-based timekeepers, refining elevation and gravity models globally. 

Across theoretical work, a new review on “General Relativity and Geodesy” emphasizes that relativistic corrections are no longer optional: they become essential as measurement precision improves. The authors also explore the promise and challenges of clock-based gravity field recovery from space. 

4. Geodetic Infrastructure Updates

From the ground side, NASA’s GGAO (Goddard Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory) has made progress toward its SGSLR (Satellite Geodesy via Satellite Laser Ranging) station in Ny-Ålesund, Norway. Recently, GGAO acquired and tracked the retro-reflector satellite STARLETTE, marking a milestone ahead of full operational status by late 2025. 

And in the U.S., the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) continues rolling out updated height reference products. Its NAPGD2022 (North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022) is now in its beta release phase, allowing users to test and provide feedback. 

5. Research Spotlight & Earth Processes

A team from the University of Texas and University of Chile announced discovery of a mechanism by which certain earthquake processes may amplify rupture magnitude—an insight that has implications for geodynamic modeling and hazard assessment. 

Meanwhile, geodesy continues to underline its behind-the-scenes importance. The “Lost Without Geodesy” cartoon, recently published by the Geodesy community, humorously captures how much modern infrastructure—from GNSS to early warning systems—depends on the invisible scaffolding of geodesy. 

Looking Forward

As we move deeper into 2025, the geodesy community has plenty to anticipate: real-world applications from NISAR, lively face-to-face exchanges at IAG2025, further releases of global datum products, and continued maturation of time-based geodetic methods. Stay tuned to GeodesyHub for commentary, deep dives, and community voices on these developments.

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This roundup is based on public announcements, blogs, and recent literature. Please share additional news or feedback you’d like featured in the next edition.