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The Landsat 7 mission was pivotal in meeting the need of global Earth observations and propelled land-change science research into a new era. The technology of the mission greatly expanded the capabilities for future Earth observing data application advancements. For 25 years, Landsat 7 captured imagery to help advance Earth land studies. We celebrate the accomplishments of this historic mission.
Originally designed for a five-year mission, Landsat 7 surpassed all expectations, completing over 132,000 orbits and capturing more than 3.3 million images of Earth. From tracking the rapid urban growth of Las Vegas to exploring remote polar regions, its images have provided invaluable insights that will continue to shape environmental research for years to come.
Designed with a a 5-year design life — 2 years longer than the previous Landsat 4 and Landsat 5 satellites, Landsat 7 far exceeded expectations, remaining operational for nearly 25 years. It was the first civilian spacecraft equipped with a solid-state recorder (SSR) enabling efficient data storage until a Landsat ground station came into view for downlinking.
The ETM+ sensor was designed with 30-meter spectral bands, a 15-meter panchromatic band to provide more precise imagery and refined thermal data resolution of 60 meters – improved from 120 meters on previous missions.
Even though the satellite experienced a failure of the Scan Line Corrector early in the mission, USGS and NASA scientists and engineers took steps to mitigate the impact. Thanks to these efforts, the ETM+ continued to acquire high-quality science data through early 2024.
The Landsat 7 mission incorporated data quality assessment functions into the operational ground system. The image assessment system (IAS), using algorithms developed to characterize sensor performance, ensured a systematic approach to sensor calibration and data quality.
Today, the USGS EROS Calibration/Validation Center of Excellence (ECCOE) Landsat Cal/Val Team holds primary responsibility for maintaining the performance and quality standards of the Landsat instruments and spacecrafts – for both active and retired Landsat missions.
A Landsat Science Team (LST) was established to bring science expertise and worldwide Earth observation needs to the conversation as Landsat 7 was being designed and developed. Comprised of calibration, applications, and technology specialists, the team’s expertise surrounding the effects of ice, water, fire, and agriculture on our planet’s landmasses was greatly beneficial to the development of Landsat 7 and future Landsat missions.
The LST expanded the focus of satellite data to encompass atmospheric science and the characterization of clouds, rainforest health, agriculture vitality, and high-latitude forests. The team was also instrumental in the establishment of the Long-Term Acquisition Plan (LTAP), a scheduling system that was embedded into the satellite software system to optimize daily acquisitions and ensure a systematic approach to future data acquisitions of the Earth’s land surfaces.
In the years following the Landsat 7 mission, three Landsat Science Teams were established to address changing technology and support new satellite missions.
The Landsat Image of Antarctica (LIMA), an interagency international effort to support scientific polar research, helped visualize Antarctica and the changes happening to the southernmost environment. The USGS worked with scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to create a seamless, nearly cloud-free mosaic of Antarctica using more than 1,000 Landsat 7 scenes.
The Long-Term Acquisition Plan (LTAP) and the advanced capabilities of the ETM+ sensor allowed scientists to better study changes to shorelines and coral reef areas from space. The Millennium Coral Reef Map, developed by the University of South Florida's Institute for Marine Remote Sensing, used Landsat 7 data acquired from 1999 to 2002 to create global baseline maps of coral reefs, providing essential information for their conservation and study.
The Landsat 7 satellite had a unique vantage point from its orbit 438 miles above the Earth during notable historic events on Earth. Just a few events include capturing imagery the day after the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, after Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2022, and when ice broke way from Greenland's Petermann Glacier in 2012.
Las Vegas, Nevada and the area surrounding it has been and remains a popular region of interest when showcasing urban growth and land change using Landsat sensors.
In this slider, these Landsat 7 images display Las Vegas, Nevada area on July 4, 1999 (Left), and on May 28, 2024 (Right). The images highlight the city, the surrounding desert landscape, and Lake Mead, using shortwave infrared (SWIR), near-infrared (NIR), and red bands to emphasize differences in vegetation, water, and urban growth.
The 2024 image marks the satellite's 25th anniversary and stands as a tribute to its quarter-century legacy of Earth observation.
In 2001, Landsat 7 inspired the first Earth As Art collection. Beyond its practical applications, many of the images are simply stunning. By combining different wavelengths of light—some invisible to the human eye—ordinary views of clouds, mountains or rivers are transformed into museum-quality works of art.
The success of the Landsat 7 mission, with its increased data acquisitions, multi-agency management, and the influx of improved technology in the industry, paved the way for the development of new and improved instruments for future Earth observing missions.
Landsat 8’s instruments, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) together has been capturing data in new and enhanced spectral bands with improved radiometric precision since 2013. Landsat 9, launched in 2021, continues with copies of the OLI and TIRS to acquire more data than has ever been collected in the history of the Landsat Program.
The Landsat Next mission, with a planned launch in the next decade, will provide even more data, more often, in many more spectral wavelengths. These advancements will further the ability of data exploitation and land use/land change studies around our planet.
Visit the Landsat 7 mission webpage to learn more about this historic mission.
This pan sharpened color infrared image of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is from the first scene acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor on April 18, 1999. The image is shown using the near infrared, red, and green bands (Bands 4,3,2).
Landsat 7 Image of the Southern Fringe of the Rub' al-Khali Sand Desert near Al-Hashman, Oman. This gap-filled image was captured on January 18, 2024 and is shown using the shortwave infrared, near infrared and red bands (Bands 5|4|3).
To learn more about the Landsat Program visit www.usgs.gov/landsat
Landsat 7 Image of the Southern Fringe of the Rub' al-Khali Sand Desert near Al-Hashman, Oman. This gap-filled image was captured on January 18, 2024 and is shown using the shortwave infrared, near infrared and red bands (Bands 5|4|3).
To learn more about the Landsat Program visit www.usgs.gov/landsat
This graphic highlights the difference in thermal band resolution between Landsat 5 and Landsat 7, focusing on center pivot irrigation fields near Alliance, Nebraska. The Landsat 5 image (top), taken on July 3, 2002, has a coarser 120-meter resolution, while the Landsat 7 image (bottom), from July 2, 2002, offers greater detail with its 60-meter resolution.
This graphic highlights the difference in thermal band resolution between Landsat 5 and Landsat 7, focusing on center pivot irrigation fields near Alliance, Nebraska. The Landsat 5 image (top), taken on July 3, 2002, has a coarser 120-meter resolution, while the Landsat 7 image (bottom), from July 2, 2002, offers greater detail with its 60-meter resolution.
This labeled Landsat 7 image from June 19, 2001, shows the path of damage caused by a June 18, 2001, tornado that passed near Siren, Wisconsin.
This labeled Landsat 7 image from June 19, 2001, shows the path of damage caused by a June 18, 2001, tornado that passed near Siren, Wisconsin.
Landsat 7 captured this image of center-pivot irrigation (green circles) in the Saudi Arabian desert in 2000. Images taken of the same location over several decades show the explosive increase of irrigated land over time, as hidden reserves of water have been tapped beneath desert sands to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Landsat 7 captured this image of center-pivot irrigation (green circles) in the Saudi Arabian desert in 2000. Images taken of the same location over several decades show the explosive increase of irrigated land over time, as hidden reserves of water have been tapped beneath desert sands to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Landsat 7 underfly with Landsat 5 over the Niobrara River, Nebraska on June 2, 1999. The left image shows the Landsat 5 TM image and the right image is from Landsat 7 ETM+. Both images are shown as a false color image using the near infrared, red, and green bands (Bands 4|3|2).
Landsat 7 underfly with Landsat 5 over the Niobrara River, Nebraska on June 2, 1999. The left image shows the Landsat 5 TM image and the right image is from Landsat 7 ETM+. Both images are shown as a false color image using the near infrared, red, and green bands (Bands 4|3|2).
RESTON, Va. — After more than 132,000 trips around the Earth and more than 3.3 million satellite images under its belt, the work of the Landsat 7 satellite is complete, even as the Landsat science mission continues with newer satellites.
This pan sharpened color infrared image of Sioux Falls, South Dakota is from the first scene acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor on April 18, 1999. The image is shown using the near infrared, red, and green bands (Bands 4,3,2).
Landsat 7 Image of the Southern Fringe of the Rub' al-Khali Sand Desert near Al-Hashman, Oman. This gap-filled image was captured on January 18, 2024 and is shown using the shortwave infrared, near infrared and red bands (Bands 5|4|3).
To learn more about the Landsat Program visit www.usgs.gov/landsat
Landsat 7 Image of the Southern Fringe of the Rub' al-Khali Sand Desert near Al-Hashman, Oman. This gap-filled image was captured on January 18, 2024 and is shown using the shortwave infrared, near infrared and red bands (Bands 5|4|3).
To learn more about the Landsat Program visit www.usgs.gov/landsat
This graphic highlights the difference in thermal band resolution between Landsat 5 and Landsat 7, focusing on center pivot irrigation fields near Alliance, Nebraska. The Landsat 5 image (top), taken on July 3, 2002, has a coarser 120-meter resolution, while the Landsat 7 image (bottom), from July 2, 2002, offers greater detail with its 60-meter resolution.
This graphic highlights the difference in thermal band resolution between Landsat 5 and Landsat 7, focusing on center pivot irrigation fields near Alliance, Nebraska. The Landsat 5 image (top), taken on July 3, 2002, has a coarser 120-meter resolution, while the Landsat 7 image (bottom), from July 2, 2002, offers greater detail with its 60-meter resolution.
This labeled Landsat 7 image from June 19, 2001, shows the path of damage caused by a June 18, 2001, tornado that passed near Siren, Wisconsin.
This labeled Landsat 7 image from June 19, 2001, shows the path of damage caused by a June 18, 2001, tornado that passed near Siren, Wisconsin.
Landsat 7 captured this image of center-pivot irrigation (green circles) in the Saudi Arabian desert in 2000. Images taken of the same location over several decades show the explosive increase of irrigated land over time, as hidden reserves of water have been tapped beneath desert sands to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Landsat 7 captured this image of center-pivot irrigation (green circles) in the Saudi Arabian desert in 2000. Images taken of the same location over several decades show the explosive increase of irrigated land over time, as hidden reserves of water have been tapped beneath desert sands to grow grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Landsat 7 underfly with Landsat 5 over the Niobrara River, Nebraska on June 2, 1999. The left image shows the Landsat 5 TM image and the right image is from Landsat 7 ETM+. Both images are shown as a false color image using the near infrared, red, and green bands (Bands 4|3|2).
Landsat 7 underfly with Landsat 5 over the Niobrara River, Nebraska on June 2, 1999. The left image shows the Landsat 5 TM image and the right image is from Landsat 7 ETM+. Both images are shown as a false color image using the near infrared, red, and green bands (Bands 4|3|2).
RESTON, Va. — After more than 132,000 trips around the Earth and more than 3.3 million satellite images under its belt, the work of the Landsat 7 satellite is complete, even as the Landsat science mission continues with newer satellites.
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