NASA is scheduled to launch an amazing satellite into space on September 15th, the Ice, Cloud, and Land Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, and I’ll be down there sketching!  The satellite is carrying the most advanced laser (that’s right, a space laser!) of its kind into space with a mission to measure and observe ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice. ICESat-2 will be launched by the Delta 2 rocket, which will be the 155th and final launch of the rocket since it went into use in 1989. For the event at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA has organized a “Social,” inviting a number of photographers, artists, and earth science enthusiasts to tour the facilities and launchpad, meet mission scientists and engineers, and witness the launch. I’ll be down there September 13th-15th, sketching and absorbing as much as I can. I’ll be posting here, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with the #ICESat2, and you can also check out @NASA_ICE. After spending time in both polar regions, I’m excited to learn about new tools and perspectives for monitoring these rapidly changing environments.