Pho, a plucky bright green photon of light, must travel from a NASA spacecraft down to Earth and back again to help complete a crucial science mission in this educational short film. The animation was created and produced by media art students from the Savannah College of Art in Design (SCAD) in Georgia, in collaboration with NASA’s Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission. Their goal was to communicate the science and engineering of the mission, slated for launch in 2018. ICESat-2, managed by NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Maryland, will measure the height of a changing Earth, one laser pulse at a time, 10,000 laser pulses a second. ICESat-2 will carry a photon-counting laser altimeter that will allow scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice and more - all in unprecedented detail. The workings of this laser helped inspire students to create the character of Pho and plot his adventure. Our planet's frozen and icy areas, called the cryosphere, are a key focus of NASA's Earth science research. ICESat-2 will help scientists investigate why, and how much, our cryosphere is changing in a warming climate. The satellite will also measure heights across Earth's temperate and tropical regions, and take stock of the vegetation in forests worldwide. For more about the mission, visit https://icesat-2.gsfc.nasa.gov. ||

"Eternal Circle," Laurent Dury, Koka Media SACEMComplete transcript available. || ICESat-2_Height_SHORT_prores_youtube_1080.00258_print.jpg (1024x576) [131.1 KB] || ICESat-2_Height_SHORT_prores_youtube_1080.00258_searchweb.png (180x320) [91.2 KB] || ICESat-2_Height_SHORT_prores_youtube_1080.00258_web.png (320x180) [91.2 KB] || ICESat-2_Height_SHORT_prores_youtube_1080.00258_thm.png (80x40) [6.7 KB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT_prores.webm (1920x1080) [27.5 MB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT_prores_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [77.5 MB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT_prores_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [13.9 MB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT_prores_youtube_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [105.2 MB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT_prores_youtube_720.mp4 (1280x720) [103.3 MB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT_prores.mov (1920x1080) [956.6 MB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT.en_US.srt [1.2 KB] || 12663_SHORT_HEIGHT.en_US.vtt [1.2 KB] ||

ICESat-2 is an incredibly precise space laser that features the latest in NASA technology To measure ice heights, engineers have to take ICESat-2’s instrument ATLAS to the extreme – sometimes going big, sometimes going small, but always keeping it precise. ||

NASA cryospheric scientist Kelly Brunt and ICESat-2 Deputy Project Scientist Tom Neumann recall some of the highlights and challenges from the recent 88-South Antarctic Traverse.Music: "Lights," Alexius Tschallener [SUISA], Dominik Johnson [PRS]; "Vulnerable Moment," John Ashton Thomas [PRS]Complete transcript available. || 12905_thumbstill_print.jpg (1024x576) [48.3 KB] || 12905_thumbstill_searchweb.png (180x320) [45.6 KB] || 12905_thumbstill_thm.png (80x40) [4.0 KB] || 12905_Post_Traverse_TWITTER.mp4 (1280x720) [58.5 MB] || 12905_Post_Traverse_PRORES.webm (1920x1080) [28.0 MB] || 12905_Post_Traverse.mp4 (1920x1080) [276.7 MB] || 12905_Post_Traverse_FACEBOOK.mp4 (1920x1080) [336.9 MB] || 12905_Post_Traverse_YOUTUBE.mp4 (1920x1080) [406.9 MB] || 12905_PostTraverse.en_US.srt [5.0 KB] || 12905_PostTraverse.en_US.vtt [5.1 KB] || 12905_Post_Traverse_PRORES.mov (1920x1080) [3.6 GB] ||

ICESat-2 es un láser espacial de gran precisión que integra la tecnología más puntera de la NASA. Para poder medir la altura del hielo del planeta, los ingenieros deben llevar el instrumento ATLAS de ICESat-2 al extremo: a veces yendo a lo grande, otras a lo pequeño, pero siempre manteniéndolo preciso.ICESat-2 is an incredibly precise space laser that features the latest in NASA technology. To measure ice heights, engineers have to take ICESat-2’s instrument ATLAS to the extreme – sometimes going big, sometimes going small, but always keeping it precise.Click here for English-language versions. ||

Sea Level Rising Inteview with Tom Wagner || YOUTUBE_HQ_Tom_Wagner_-Sea_Levels_youtube_hq_print.jpg (1024x576) [128.8 KB] || WEBM_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1.webm (960x540) [82.0 MB] || WMV_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1_HD.wmv (1280x720) [39.7 MB] || APPLE_TV_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1_appletv.m4v (1280x720) [112.3 MB] || APPLE_TV_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1_appletv_subtitles.m4v (1280x720) [112.4 MB] || YOUTUBE_HQ_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1_youtube_hq.mov (1280x720) [369.3 MB] || NASA_TV_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1.mpeg (1280x720) [687.0 MB] || WEBM_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels.en_US.vtt [4.5 KB] || WEBM_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1.en_US.srt [4.6 KB] || WEBM_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1.en_US.vtt [4.5 KB] || NASA_PODCAST_Tom_Wagner-Sea_Levels_1_ipod_sm.mp4 (320x240) [36.7 MB] || Tom_Wagner-_Sea_Levels_1.mov (1280x720) [2.6 GB] ||

Music: "Pizzicato Piece," Andrew Michael Britton, David Stephen Goldsmith, Atmosphere Music Ltd.; "We Learn," Andrew Michael Britton, Atmosphere Music Ltd.Complete transcript available. || traverse_print.jpg (1024x575) [145.3 KB] || traverse_searchweb.png (320x180) [87.3 KB] || traverse_thm.png (80x40) [6.3 KB] || 12809_Pre_Antarctic_Traverse_TWITTER.mp4 (1280x720) [51.3 MB] || 12809_Pre_Antarctic_Traverse_prores.webm (1920x1080) [21.5 MB] || 12809_Antarctic_Traverse_FACEBOOK.mp4 (1920x1080) [261.9 MB] || 12809_Pre_Antarctic_Traverse_YOUTUBE.mp4 (1920x1080) [430.5 MB] || 12809_Pre_Antarctic_Traverse_youtube_720.mp4 (1280x720) [391.2 MB] || 12809_Traverse.en_US.srt [4.5 KB] || 12809_Traverse.en_US.vtt [4.5 KB] || 12809_Pre_Antarctic_Traverse_prores.mov (1920x1080) [2.9 GB] ||

A selection of shots of the ICESat-2 ATLAS instrument leaving Goddard Space Flight Center for Orbital ATK.Music: "We Learn," Andrew Michael Britton, Atmosphere Music Ltd.Complete transcript available. || ATLAS_Leaves_Highlights_v2.00972_print.jpg (1024x576) [169.2 KB] || ATLAS_Leaves_Highlights_v2.00972_searchweb.png (320x180) [105.3 KB] || ATLAS_Leaves_Highlights_v2.00972_thm.png (80x40) [7.3 KB] || ATLAS_Leaves_v4_YOUTUBE.mp4 (1920x1080) [67.0 MB] || ATLAS_Leaves_v4_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [12.0 MB] || ATLAS_Leaves_v4_prores.webm (1920x1080) [7.0 MB] || ATLAS_Leaves_v4_prores.mov (1920x1080) [889.1 MB] || ATLAS_Leaves_v4.en_US.srt [833 bytes] || ATLAS_Leaves_v4.en_US.vtt [845 bytes] ||

AntarcticaMusic: "Distant Echoes," Adam Salkeld, Atmosphere Music Ltd. PRS; "Evolution of Life," David Stephen Goldsmith, Atmosphere Music Ltd. PRSComplete transcript available. || antarc_thumb_print.jpg (1024x576) [113.1 KB] || antarc_thumb_searchweb.png (180x320) [88.3 KB] || antarc_thumb_thm.png (80x40) [6.3 KB] || Antarctica_Brunt.mov (1920x1080) [4.1 GB] || Antarctica_Brunt_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [424.3 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [77.5 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_youtube_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [571.8 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_youtube_720.mp4 (1280x720) [552.4 MB] || Antarctica_Brunt_facebook_720.webm (1280x720) [32.9 MB] || Antarctica_icesheet.en_US.srt [6.0 KB] || Antarctica_icesheet.en_US.vtt [6.0 KB] ||

"Stars Align," Andrew Michael Britton, Atmosphere Music Ltd.; "A New Hope," Al Lethbridge, Atmosphere Music Ltd.Complete transcript available. || countdown_Thumb_print.jpg (1024x577) [75.2 KB] || countdown_Thumb_searchweb.png (320x180) [76.0 KB] || countdown_Thumb_thm.png (80x40) [6.3 KB] || 13065_Countdown_prores.mov (1920x1080) [2.4 GB] || 13065_Countdown_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [228.5 MB] || 13065_Countdown_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [40.0 MB] || 13065_Countdown_youtube_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [314.1 MB] || 13065_Countdown.webm (960x540) [73.1 MB] || 13065_Countdown.en_US.srt [3.7 KB] || 13065_Countdown.en_US.vtt [3.7 KB] ||