February 2023 - Vol. 2 | Issue 2
Landsat Next, planned to launch by late-2030, will extend this record while providing more frequent observations, higher resolution images, and more than twice the spectral bands as its predecessors. “This is basically the first chance we’ve had to completely re-conceive the Landsat mission," said Bruce Cook, NASA Landsat Next Project Scientist. Read the Landsat Headline to learn more.
Landsat 8 Data from Recent Safehold Available in Provisional State
On Thursday, January 26, 2023, an anomaly caused the Landsat 8 spacecraft to enter a safehold mode. The spacecraft recovered from the safehold on January 28, 2023. Since that time, the Landsat 8 Flight Operations Team has confirmed that all satellite subsystems are nominal, and imaging resumed.
Before and After Landsat 8/9 images Showing Impacts of Recent Storm Events
The state of California has experienced record-breaking rainfall since December. The impacts of these recent storms can be seen from space. Landsat 8/9 captured these natural color (Bands 4|3|2) before and after images of Northern California showing turbid rivers, rising reservoirs, and saturated fields. Imagery from Landsat continues to help researchers, emergency responders, and the…
Landsat's Next Chapter
With a trio of smaller satellites that can each detect 26 wavelengths of light, the Landsat Next mission is expected to look very different from its predecessors that have been observing Earth for 50 years. This new plan for Landsat Next, a joint mission of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, is designed to provide more frequent, and finer resolution, data of the changing surface of Earth.
The Landsat Legacy Continues
With a trio of smaller satellites that can each detect 26 wavelengths of light and thermal energy, the Landsat Next mission is expected to look very different from its predecessors that have been observing Earth for 50 years.
Landsat Satellites Operated from EROS for First Time
For the first time ever, the commands to operate the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites came directly from the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in December 2022.
Eyes on Earth Episode 87 – Landsat 5’s Significance, Part 1
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn about the significance of the fifth satellite in the 50-year-old Landsat program and its remarkable ability to observe the Earth for nearly 29 years.
Landsat Next
Landsat Next is on the horizon — with a launch planned for late 2030/early 2031, the new mission will ensure continuity of the longest space-based record of Earth’s land surface and fundamentally transform the breadth and depth of actionable Earth Observation information freely available to end users.
Taklimakan Desert Receives Rare Snowfall
Landsat 9 captured a rare snowfall in China’s Taklimakan Desert on January 18, 2023. This image uses the shortwave infrared, near infrared, and red bands (B 6|5|4) to highlight the stark contrast between the desert sand and the snow-covered dunes. The sand appears reddish, while the snow is blue. Taklimakan lies in the Northwest part of the country and lies in the shadow of the Himalayas,…
Eyes on Earth Episode 88 – Landsat 5’s Significance, Part 2
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn about how the Landsat 5 flight operations team managed to keep the satellite going as it collected data into its 20s and an award the team recently received.
Excess Water Flows out of California
Nine consecutive rainstorms have poured on California since December 26, 2022, after three years of intensive drought. After six weeks of massive flooding and rainfall, sediment plumes from rivers and creeks can be seen along the California coast after recent heavy rainfall in this Landsat 8 image. The USGS continues to provide information to protect life, property, and the environment using…
2022 in Review
2022 was monumental for the program, including celebrating its 50-year anniversary, transitioning a fully operational Landsat 9 to the USGS team, and extending the Landsat 7 science mission. In addition to these major events, we have included an interactive map showcasing events Landsat satellites captured 2022 from around the world.
The Diomede Islands
In the right wintry conditions, an ice bridge forms between the Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait. Theoretically, this is the only place where you can walk from Russia to the United States (and vice versa), however travel between one Diomede to the other is strictly forbidden. On the West side sits Russia’s Big Diomede with a population of 0. The smaller Little Diomede to the…
Landsat 2 Overview
After launch in 1975, Landsat 2 began to collect remote sensing data. Outliving its one-year design, Landsat 2 achieved seven years of operation. With two Landsats in orbit, scientists gleaned additional views of the planet.
With this uninterrupted data, the record of the Earth's land surface could always be recorded, allowing for reliable imaging for scientists, policy makers, and land managers.