# NASA’s CASALS Instrument Bridges Gaps in 3D Maps of Earth’s Surface

- Source: NASA
- Published: 2026-10-21T12:17:58+00:00
- Category: Science
- Original: https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/science-enabling-technology/technology-highlights/nasas-casals-instrument-bridges-gaps-in-3d-maps-of-earths-surface/
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/nasa-s-casals-instrument-bridges-gaps-in-3d-maps-of-earth-s-surface-072358/

From orbit, today’s space-based laser instruments measure Earth’s forests and terrain one narrow line at a time. Between those lines are enormous gaps that include millions of acres of land scientists never directly measure. NASA’s CASALS instrument will blend machine learning with an ultra-compact lidar instrument to adaptively ‘sweep’ large swaths of Earth’s surface. This […]

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