Nasa has extended the life of a key climate and biodiversity sensor for scanning the world’s forests which was set to be destroyed in Earth’s atmosphere. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (Gedi) mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station in December 2018, and has provided the first 3D map of the world’s forests. Data from the $100m sensor, which uses lasers to measure the structure and health of Earth’s forests, has helped scientists better understand drivers of biodiversity loss and global heating. It was going to be incinerated in the atmosphere at the start of this year. Now, after an appeal from forest experts, Nasa has changed its mind and extended the life of the mission. …It is understood that the sensor could last until the ISS is decommissioned in 2031.