Landsat

Landsat
Name	Landsat
Mission type	Earth observation
Operator	National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Landsat is a series of Earth observation satellites developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and operated by United States Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and European Space Agency (ESA). The program has been a cornerstone of global Earth science research, providing valuable data for agriculture, forestry, geology, and climate change studies, involving collaborations with University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Landsat series has been instrumental in monitoring the environment, tracking changes in land use and land cover, and supporting disaster response efforts, often in conjunction with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The program's success has also been recognized by National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation (NSF), and American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Introduction

The Landsat program has its roots in the 1960s, when NASA and USGS began exploring the concept of Earth observation from space. The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972, and since then, the program has grown to include eight satellites, with each successive mission building upon the previous one, involving partnerships with European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and Australian Government. The Landsat series has been used to study a wide range of Earth science topics, including climate change, deforestation, and natural disasters, often in collaboration with University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The program has also been recognized for its contributions to sustainable development, environmental conservation, and natural resource management, with support from World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

History

The Landsat program has a rich history, with the first satellite launched on July 23, 1972, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, using a Delta rocket provided by Boeing. The early Landsat satellites were designed to test the feasibility of Earth observation from space, and they quickly demonstrated the value of satellite imagery for agriculture, forestry, and geology, with applications in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Forest Service (USFS), and United States Geological Survey (USGS). The program has since evolved to include more advanced instruments and spacecraft, with each successive mission building upon the previous one, involving collaborations with Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and Johnson Space Center (JSC). The Landsat series has been used to support a wide range of Earth science research, including studies of climate change, deforestation, and natural disasters, often in partnership with National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University of Colorado Boulder, and National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

Spacecraft

The Landsat spacecraft are designed to operate in sun-synchronous orbit, providing global coverage of the Earth's surface, with each satellite built by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Ball Aerospace & Technologies. The spacecraft are equipped with advanced instruments, including multispectral scanners and thermal infrared sensors, which provide high-resolution imagery of the Earth's surface, with data processed by NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) and USGS's Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) center. The Landsat spacecraft are launched using Atlas V rockets provided by United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Delta IV rockets provided by Boeing, with launch services supported by Vandenberg Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft are operated by USGS and NASA, with data distributed through the USGS EarthExplorer portal and NASA's Earthdata portal, in collaboration with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

Instruments

The Landsat instruments are designed to provide high-resolution imagery of the Earth's surface, with a range of spectral bands that allow for the study of vegetation, soil, and water resources, using technologies developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) are the primary instruments on the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites, providing multispectral and thermal infrared data, with applications in agriculture, forestry, and geology, supported by University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University. The Landsat instruments have been used to study a wide range of Earth science topics, including climate change, deforestation, and natural disasters, often in collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Park Service (NPS).

Data Applications

The Landsat data have a wide range of applications, including agriculture, forestry, geology, and climate change research, with users from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia Institute of Technology. The data are used to monitor crop health, track deforestation, and study natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, often in partnership with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), United States Forest Service (USFS), and National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC). The Landsat data are also used to support sustainable development, environmental conservation, and natural resource management, with applications in World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The data are distributed through the USGS EarthExplorer portal and NASA's Earthdata portal, with access supported by National Science Foundation (NSF), National Academy of Sciences, and American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Missions

The Landsat program has included eight satellites, each with its own unique mission and instrumentation, with launch services provided by United Launch Alliance (ULA), SpaceX, and Arianespace. The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972, and the most recent, Landsat 9, was launched in 2021, with a planned Landsat 10 mission scheduled for 2025, involving collaborations with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and USGS's Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) center. The Landsat missions have been used to study a wide range of Earth science topics, including climate change, deforestation, and natural disasters, often in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Park Service (NPS). The program has also been recognized for its contributions to sustainable development, environmental conservation, and natural resource management, with support from World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Category:Earth observation satellites