Launched on September 15, 2018, from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California, the NASA Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2, or ICESat-2, carries a photon-counting laser altimeter that allows scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, tree canopy height, ocean height, and more - all in unprecedented 3-D detail. ICESat-2 helps scientists investigate why, and how much, our Earth is changing in a warming climate.