I know someone who works at NASA JPL performing a small part of this effort. NASA and Japan just updated the data and has made it available to the public. You can download the ASTER global digital elevation model at: https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/ or http://www.ersdac.or.jp/GDEM/E/4.html .
From the NASA site: “The map, known as a global digital elevation model, was created from images collected by the Japanese Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, or ASTER, instrument aboard Terra. So-called stereo-pair images are produced by merging two slightly offset two-dimensional images to create the three-dimensional effect of depth. The first version of the map was released by NASA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in June 2009. ”