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| Landsat data continuity mission | |
|---|---|
| Name | Landsat data continuity mission |
| Mission type | Earth observation |
| Operator | NASA / United States Geological Survey |
| Launch date | 2013-02-11 |
| Launch vehicle | Delta II |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Orbit | Sun-synchronous |
| Instruments | Operational Land Imager (OLI), Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) |
Landsat data continuity mission
The Landsat data continuity mission was a cooperative United States Department of the Interior–National Aeronautics and Space Administration program intended to maintain the multi-decadal Earth observation record begun by earlier Landsat program satellites. The mission provided calibrated multispectral and thermal imagery to sustain long-term records used by agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, research centers including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and international partners like the European Space Agency for applications ranging from remote sensing of land cover to water resource management.
The mission launched in 2013 aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base into a sun-synchronous orbit to provide global coverage with a 16-day revisit. It carried the Operational Land Imager and the Thermal Infrared Sensor to continue spectral, radiometric, and geometric continuity with earlier Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 datasets. Data from the mission were archived and distributed by the United States Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and integrated into time series used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and international scientific communities.
Development drew on heritage from the Landsat program, which began with Landsat 1 (originally ERTS-1) and continued through Landsat 5 and Landsat 7. Programmatic drivers included continuity of the long-term Earth observation record emphasized by panels from the National Research Council and policy guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. Industrial partners such as Orbital Sciences Corporation (now part of Northrop Grumman) and instrument teams at Ball Aerospace and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center contributed to design, construction, and integration. Budgetary decisions involved stakeholders in the United States Congress and the Department of the Interior as agencies negotiated responsibilities for operations and data stewardship.
Primary objectives included ensuring radiometric continuity with previous Landsat sensors, providing higher signal-to-noise performance, and delivering calibrated thermal measurements. The mission aimed to support applications in agriculture monitoring by the United States Department of Agriculture, forestry assessments used by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, urban growth studies utilized by municipal agencies, and climate change research undertaken by centers such as the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Capabilities emphasized systematic global coverage, consistent calibration using vicarious methods developed by teams at NASA Ames Research Center and cross-calibration with platforms like the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 constellation.
The spacecraft hosted two primary instruments: the Operational Land Imager (OLI), a pushbroom multispectral sensor with visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared bands, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), providing thermal infrared bands for surface temperature retrievals. OLI design incorporated lessons from sensors such as the Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, while TIRS provided continuity with thermal measurements from earlier Landsat systems. Instrument teams included contractors from Ball Aerospace and scientific oversight by personnel at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and payload calibration groups at the United States Geological Survey.
Raw telemetry was processed into Level-1 products using processing systems maintained at the USGS EROS Center. Processing steps included radiometric calibration, geometric correction tied to Ground Control Points and the Global Positioning System, and conversion to surface reflectance algorithms informed by research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and USGS. Products were made freely available via online archives and distribution services used by institutions such as the National Snow and Ice Data Center and international data portals. Data continuity enabled construction of long-term mosaics and indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, supporting time-series analysis workflows in research centers such as Columbia University's Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory.
The mission’s data supported applications across science and resource management: agricultural yield estimation used by the Food and Agriculture Organization, deforestation monitoring by conservation organizations and researchers at the World Resources Institute, water resource mapping for agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation, and urban change detection in studies involving institutions such as the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The continuity of the dataset facilitated longitudinal studies in climate change attribution and ecosystem change pursued at centers including the National Center for Atmospheric Research and university research groups worldwide. Economic and policy analyses by think tanks and intergovernmental bodies leveraged the data for sustainable development planning.
Though led by NASA and the USGS, the mission engaged with international partners for calibration, validation, and data interoperability, linking programs such as the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme and Japan's GCOM initiatives. Policy frameworks influencing access and use included interagency agreements and international data-sharing practices promoted by forums like the Group on Earth Observations. Cross-calibration efforts and coordinated observations improved compatibility with sensors aboard platforms from agencies including the China National Space Administration and the Indian Space Research Organisation, enabling global, multi-sensor analysis by universities and research centers.
Category:Landsat program Category:Earth observation satellites of the United States Category:NASA missions