These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Satellite imagery helps scientists keep track of how our planet’s natural environment is changing, but it can’t cut through a thicket of tree cover or pick up changes in the dark. Nuview will address those shortcomings with 20 LiDAR satellites that beam a laser pulse down to earth and measure the time it takes to return. From there, the system creates a 3D image of the terrain, eventually mapping the entire surface of the planet. “With every pulse of light, we’re casting a new perspective on Earth,” says Nuview CEO Clint Graumann. The satellites don’t go live until 2025, but Nuview already has $1.2 billion in business agreements, including one with the U.S. Department of Defense.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision