--- description: Find out why Nuview LiDAR Satellite Constellation is one of the best inventions of 2023 title: Nuview LiDAR Satellite Constellation: The 200 Best Inventions of 2023 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt65cb7d33c592c94f/698a418286f68e4b746f2e45/best-inventions-2023-Nuview-LiDAR-satellite.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Oct 24, 2023 # A New Global Perspective Nuview LiDAR Satellite Constellation by [Chris Stokel-Walker](/author/chris-stokel-walker/) ## Chris Stokel-Walker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  U.S. Geological Survey/image by Jason Stoker Ph.D. 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. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2023/6324128/nuview-lidar-satellite-constellation/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2023/6324128/nuview-lidar-satellite-constellation/"},"headline":"A New Global Perspective","datePublished":"2023-10-24T11:00:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T05:10:47.230Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2023/6324128/nuview-lidar-satellite-constellation/","keywords":["list","franchise","ecommerce","Magazine","best inventions","Best Inventions 2023"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt65cb7d33c592c94f/698a418286f68e4b746f2e45/best-inventions-2023-Nuview-LiDAR-satellite.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chris Stokel-Walker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/chris-stokel-walker/"}],"creator":"Chris Stokel-Walker","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt65cb7d33c592c94f/698a418286f68e4b746f2e45/best-inventions-2023-Nuview-LiDAR-satellite.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2023/6324128/nuview-lidar-satellite-constellation/","name":"A New Global Perspective"}}]}] ```