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Landsat: 50 Years Observing a Changing Earth

July 21, 2022

Since 1972, the joint USGS/NASA Landsat series of Earth-observing satellites has continuously acquired images of the Earth’s land surface, providing uninterrupted data to help land managers and policy specialists make informed decisions about natural resources and the environment.

The first Landsat satellite launched on July 23, 1972. After 50 years and seven additional launches later, Landsat continues to provide consistent and constant remotely sensed data for scientists and decision makers.

Landsat data is used by people and organizations in the United States and around the world. These data are used by government, commercial, industrial, civilian, military, and educational communities to support a wide range of applications in global change research, agriculture, forestry, geology, resources management, geography, mapping, water quality, and oceanography, just to name a few.

Join us in celebrating 50 years of the Landsat program and see dramatic changes across the Earth that are revealed via a half-century of collected images.

Landsat Legacy Webpage

Landsat Legacy Webpage

Landsat Mission Webspage

Landsat Mission Webspage

View more Landsat Storymaps

View more Landsat Storymaps

Landsat 50th Anniversary Video

Landsat 50th Anniversary Video

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