GEDI remains in a stowed configuration since being relocated on March 17th, 2023, to the Exposed Facility Unit 7 (EFU-7) port on the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The Flight Operations Team (FOT) continues to monitor diagnostic telemetry to ensure safe stowage conditions. Though the instrument had access to only survival heater power at the stowage location, and there is limited ground insight into the health and status of the instrument, all indications are that GEDI’s survival heater circuits are operating nominally, and internal temperatures are maintained within safe limits. To date, only three of the four internal circuits have cycled due to the thermal environment, meaning that the payload has maintained higher than the expected low temperatures in the stowage environment.

With the instrument in storage and in a stable condition, the GEDI team continues efforts on the ground to ensure a smooth transition back to operations. Highlights include:

• Relocation of the Mission Operation Center (MOC) from its original location to a new shared ISS workspace with the ILLUMA-T MOC.
• Ground system updates to meet compliance needs with NASA Technical Standards System requirements, including upgrades of operating systems and control software, are nearing completion. Operation products for these upgraded systems are under review and will be stepped-up, if applicable.
• The FOT, with support from ISS Payload Operations personnel, updated the Ground Control Procedures to better reflect the updated steps for the safing of GEDI.
• The GEDI team has begun development of a revised timeline for the reinstallation of GEDI and instrument testing before the reactivation of GEDI.
• The completion of a reprocess and redelivery of life-of-mission science data, supporting Release 3 of the L0 data products.

The Science Operation Center (SOC) is undergoing substantial upgrades as well, including:

• Transition from a MAC/Windows based environment to a Linux-based environment, including benchmark testing.
• Product development to automate and improve their data acquisition and performance.
• Software development updates to the Science Planning System’s Reference Ground Track (RGT) mission log file and the GEDI Mission Orbit Definition Catalog using a definitive ISS ephemeris. These updates will incorporate the ability to extend RGT development and targeting and are in the process of being tested.

Return of GEDI to the EFU-6 location could occur as early as April 2024, with assumptions that the mission currently occupying the location has completed its science objectives in that timeframe. Following reactivation, a brief recommissioning window will occur, allowing the team to verify the functionality of the instrument prior to resuming nominal surveying of the Earth’s biomass.