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Landsat Data Continuity Mission

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The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is the next-generation Landsat satellite and is expected to be launched late 2012. This mission will ensure the continued acquisition and availability of Landsat-like data well beyond the duration of the current Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 missions.

LDCM was created in October 2002 to investigate and research options for the most feasible solution to follow the Landsat 7 mission. Four options were considered:

1. a commercial enterprise, which was met with a lack of industry interest;
2. a commercial/government partnership, which was cancelled due to inappropriate risk balancing in 2003;
3. international partnerships, which continue to develop and mature for possible future collaborations;
4. a government-only mission.

A memorandum on December 23, 2005 from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) directed planning to begin for a free-flyer government-only mission.

NASA will acquire a spacecraft to collect and provide data to the Department of Interior / USGS. The USGS will be responsible for the operations of this mission, along with collecting, archiving, processing, and distributing the data to the U.S. Government and other users. The Landsat Science Team has been established to address the science goals of the mission. NASA and the USGS plan to implement LDCM in a manner that does not preclude a long-term solution for continuity of Landsat-type data.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), specifics of the mission are source selection sensitive. Information will be released as appropriate on this web site.

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