USGS - science for a changing world
NASA

Landsat Missions




Landsat and LDCM Headlines 2008

2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009

triangle down November 24, 2008 – Access to Landsat 1-5 Archive

Electronic access to the entire USGS Landsat 7 archive, enabling users to download standard-format scenes at no charge, has been an amazing success, with over 80,000 scenes downloaded since October 1st. The rest of the USGS archive, from Landsat 1 through Landsat 5, will be released by December 30, 2008. At that time, only the standard-format, "web-enabled" product will be available to users from the USGS. Thus, customers who wish to purchase currently available Landsat 1-5 products are encouraged to submit their orders by Friday, December 5. The USGS expects tremendous demand for Landsat 5 data during January and February. While numerous Landsat 5 scenes will be preprocessed and placed on a USGS server for instant download, most of the historical Landsat 1-5 scenes requested by users will need to be processed and then placed on a server. To help prevent large system backlogs, users are asked to please restrict data requests to their immediate needs and order no more than 25 Landsat scenes per day until further notice. For more information, see the Landsat website (http://landsat.usgs.gov) or email Customer Service at custserv@usgs.gov.

triangle down October 1, 2008 – Landsat 7 ETM+ Data Now Available at No Charge

October 1, 2008 - All Landsat 7 ETM+ scenes held in the USGS EROS archive are now available at no charge. Newly acquired Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off images with less than 40 percent cloud cover are automatically processed and made available for immediate download, while all remaining Landsat 7 ETM+ scenes can be processed upon request. Once the requested scenes are processed, an email notification is sent to the customer with instructions for downloading. These scenes will then become accessible to all users. Landsat 7 ETM+ data can be searched, downloaded, or requested from EarthExplorer or Glovis. Processing parameters and other details about the products can be found at http://landsat.usgs.gov/products_data_at_no_charge.php.

triangle down September 15-19, 2008 – LGSOWG-37 Meeting with International Cooperators

The Landsat Ground Station Operators Working Group (LGSOWG-37) meeting was organized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and hosted by the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE), Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, China, September 15 – 19, 2008.

Participants from 11 countries, including representatives of 17 international ground stations, members of the USGS Landsat and Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Projects, and NASA staff, discussed details regarding Landsats 5 and 7 mission status, no-cost Landsat product distribution, the Landsat Global Archive Consolidation initiative, programmatic issues and future plans.

LDCM sensor and spacecraft development was the primary topic of discussion, supported by presentations on project and ground system status; downlink agreement concepts; ground system and downlink overview; data archive, production and distribution; and Landsat Science Team activities.

International Cooperators reported on the status of their systems, and provided information regarding the business model and organizational structure of their stations. They also addressed future satellite mission and ground system plans of their agencies:

Japan: Presented data distribution status for the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS), as well as a report from JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency, on current and future earth observation missions.

Germany: Detailed several recent and future programs, including TerraSAR-X (launched June 2007), TanDEM-X (to be launched end of 2009), EnMap (to be launched in 2011), and RapidEye (launched August 29, 2008).

Brazil: Presented the status of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) 2B, launched September 19, 2007.

Argentina: Reported the status of the Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas-D (SAC-D) spacecraft, scheduled for launch in May 2010.

Europe: The European Space Agency (ESA) briefed the group on the many ESA programs in progress, including the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programs.

Given the Global Earth Observation (GEO) activities in which most countries participate, sharing information about ongoing and future earth imaging programs is of increasing importance.

LGSOWG 37 Participants

Figure 1. LGSOWG-37 participants in Shanghai. Photo credit: CEODE



triangle down September 17, 2008 – NASA Selects Contractor For LDCM Mission Operations Element (MOE)

NASA selected The Hammers Company, Greenbelt, Md., to build the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Mission Operations Element (MOE). Read more...

triangle down July 15-17, 2008 – Landsat Science Team Meeting

A status review of Landsat 5 and 7 satellites and Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) development progress were the primary topics of discussion at the latest meeting held at USGS Headquarters in Reston, Virginia July 15-17, 2008. Science and applications results from members' research activities were also presented. Read more...

triangle down July 31, 2008 – RFI: Landsat Raw Data Products

The US Geological Survey seeks information to determine if there is interest by one or more commercial or non-profit vendors in offering Landsat products beyond those available from the US Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS has available Landsat TM and ETM+ data in a raw, uncorrected format (Level-0R) so that these data could be processed to user specifications (projection, datum, and resampling method). Responses are due by September 12, 2008. Details can be found at FedBizOpps.

triangle down June 6, 2008 – Newly acquired Landsat 7 scenes over Eurasia now available at no charge.

The USGS Landsat Project has expanded its free data acquisitions to Eurasia. As nearly cloud-free scenes are acquired by Landsat 7, they are automatically processed and posted online for users to download at no charge. Because only a portion of the globe is collected daily, and some of the images are cloud-covered, not all areas of Eurasia are equally available at all times. To view and download this data, please visit the Standard L1T dataset in the Landsat Science Collection in GloVis or Earth Explorer.

triangle down May 7, 2008 – Landsat Satellite Imagery Used to Assess the Impact of Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis

USGS is providing Landsat satellite imagery to aid rescue and recovery efforts in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis’s landfall on May 3. International emergency response teams are using the Landsat images to assess the extent of flood damage caused by the cyclone in the affected region. Read the News Release - .pdf (479 KB)

triangle down May 2, 2008 – Request For Information: Satellite Ground Station Services for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM)

The Department of Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, SD seeks information and capability statements for a "Satellite Ground Station Services for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM)." Read more...

triangle down April 24, 2008 – Landsat Data Continuity Mission USGS Acquisition Strategy for Ground System Segments, LDCC and TSSC Contracts Awarded

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) share responsibility for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM).

The two largest USGS LDCM related contracts were awarded in March 2008 - the LDCM Data Continuity Contract (LDCC) was awarded to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Technical Support Services Contract (TSSC) was awarded to Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc. (SGT). Read More...

triangle down April 22, 2008 – NASA Selects Contractor for Landsat Data Continuity Mission Spacecraft

NASA has selected General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Inc., to build the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) spacecraft. Read more...

triangle down April 22, 2008 – The U.S. House of Representatives honors Landsat on Earth Day.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives honored the Landsat missions by entering a resolution that expressed appreciation to all contributing scientists, engineers, and program personnel for the first 35 years of the Landsat program and urged continuation of the Landsat program for another 35 years. For details of the resolution, please see H. Res. 891. .pdf (27.1 KB)

triangle down April 21, 2008 – Imagery for Everyone

By February 2009, any Landsat archive scene selected by a user will be processed, at no charge, automatically to a standard product recipe and staged for electronic retrieval. In addition, newly acquired scenes meeting a cloud cover threshold of 20% or below will be processed to the standard recipe and placed on line for at least three months, after which they will remain available for selection from the archive. Details can be found in the USGS Technical Announcement - .pdf (66.8 KB).

triangle down March 31, 2008 – Newly acquired Landsat 7 scenes over Africa are now available at no charge.

As Landsat 7 acquires clear scenes over Africa (less than or equal to 20 percent cloud cover), the Landsat Project is automatically processing those scenes to an L1T, applying precision ground control and the SRTM DEM for geometric correction. These scenes are accurate to within 30m. There are four areas of the continent that are still under investigation due to poor geometric adjustments (Nile region, two areas in southern Africa, Madagascar). These will be reprocessed and come online in late May.

Scenes can be found:

GloVis: glovis.usgs.gov, Collection->Landsat Science->Standard L1T

EE: earthexplorer.usgs.gov, under 1. Select your dataset, choose Landsat Science->SLC-off L1T Std L1T



triangle down March 26, 2008 – The 17th Landsat Technical Working Group (LTWG) meeting

The 17th Landsat Technical Working Group (LTWG) meeting, organized and hosted by the USGS, was held in Chantilly, Virginia, March 3–7, 2008. International Cooperator (IC) representatives from nine countries and members of the USGS Landsat Project, USGS Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Project, NASA LDCM Project, and NASA Landsat Science Office discussed topics of technical interest. This transitional meeting focused on shifting away from the on-orbit Landsat 5 and 7 missions and toward the LDCM currently under development. A full range of presentations on the LDCM were included in the agenda, and several of the LDCM management and development team members attended to meet the IC representatives. Another transition was in the leadership of the LTWG and Landsat Ground Station Operators Working Group (LGSOWG) meetings—from the Landsat Project to the LDCM Project. In addition to the LDCM presentations, other topics covered were the Landsat 5 battery anomaly, the Landsat Pilot Project enabling no-charge data access, the Global Land Survey 2005, data validation and exchange, and the new Landsat 5 calibration parameter files. Also, a USGS Headquarters representative reported on the National Land Imaging Program.

Station reports were focused on addressing a variety of technical issues currently being worked by the Projects. Status reports were given on the China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite 2B (CBERS-2B) program by the Brazil representative, on the Thailand Earth Observation System (THEOS) program by the Thailand delegation, on TerraSAR-X by the German representative, and on the Sentinel program by the representative from the European Space Agency (ESA).

Group picture at Lincoln Memorial

Figure 1. Group picture at Lincoln Memorial
Group picture at Capitol

Figure 2. Group picture at Capitol


triangle down March 10, 2008 – 2008 Pecora Award Nominations

Call for Nominations for 2008 William T. Pecora Award

Deadline: April 30, 2008

The William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to individuals or groups that have made outstanding contributions toward understanding the Earth by means of remote sensing. The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) jointly sponsor the award. The award was established in 1974 to honor the memory of Dr. William T. Pecora, former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey and Under Secretary, Department of the Interior. Dr. Pecora was a motivating force behind the establishment of a program for civil remote sensing of the Earth from space. His early vision and support helped establish what we know today as the Landsat satellite program.

The Award Committee must receive nominations for the 2008 award by April 30, 2008. Instructions for preparing a nomination and other information about the award can be found on the Pecora Award web site: http://remotesensing.usgs.gov/pecora.html

Any individual or group working in the field of remote sensing of the Earth is eligible to receive the William T. Pecora Award. An individual award recognizes achievements in the scientific and technical remote sensing community, as well as contributions leading to successful practical applications of remote sensing. Consideration will be given to sustained career achievements or singular contributions of major importance to the field of remote sensing. A group award recognizes a team or part of an organization that has made major breakthroughs in remote sensing science or technology, or developed an innovative application that has a significant impact on the user community or national and international policies. Individual and group achievements should be documented in the open literature.



triangle down March 3, 2008 – Request for Proposal: Mission Operations Element

The LDCM Mission Operations Element Request For Proposal was released on March 1, 2008. Please direct any questions regarding this procurement to the Contracting Officer, Michelle McIntyre at Michelle.D.McIntyre@nasa.gov.



triangle down February 29, 2008 – Landsat 5 Satellite Back in Action

Orbiter's Designed Three-Year Mission, Begins its 24th Year in Operation March 1

The earth imaging satellite Landsat 5 is once again collecting and downlinking land-image data. The satellite was temporarily taken out of service in October 2007 following a cell failure within one of the satellite's two operating on-board batteries.

USGS Flight Operations Team engineers were forced to discover ways to balance the energy demand of Landsat 5's operational and imaging instrumentation with the satellite's slightly diminished energy storage capacity. The Team's solution was to reconfigure and align Landsat 5's image acquisition schedule and to rely more on direct power from its solar array. Additionally, schedule changes were made to limit imaging during the winter months and to resume all routine imaging over the continental U.S. from March through September. Some concessions will also be made to limit imaging over international sites.

Restoration of Landsat 5's image data collection and data transfer capability is considered essential by many federal, state and local government and civilian land and resource agency managers in managing response to wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and other disasters. Since its launch on March 1, 1984, Landsat 5 has provided more than 600,000 individual images, recording clear-cutting and recovery conditions of rain forests, near- and long-term effects of the Chernobyl explosion, before-and-after records of Hurricane Katrina's impact, as well as more subtle natural and human-induced changes to the global land surface. In addition to these emergency and management applications of Landsat imagery, millions of people each day use web based mapping products supported by this and other imagery data to get where they want to go.

While the design life of Landsat 5 was only 3 years, this remarkable satellite is likely to produce imagery for a few more years. Landsat 7, launched in 1999, continues to provide the global science community with worldwide seasonal images, however, it too is operating in a slightly diminished capacity.

In an effort to ensure the continuation and improvement of global and National land imaging products and services to its users beyond the life of Landsat 5 and Landsat 7, the President recently announced a new budget initiative to create the National Land Imaging Program (NLIP) in the Department of the Interior.

NLIP planning is underway and will be designed to ensure the continuing operational and research needs for moderate resolution and multispectral land imaging products and services are met and provided to federal and civilian users.

NLIP will be responsible for the deployment and operation of future U.S.-owned, civil operational land imaging satellites and ground system assets and will be directed to facilitate the development and promotion of future land imaging technologies, applications and services to support the growing number of users.

Real-time and recent U.S. images collected by Landsats 5 and 7 are available for viewing on the USGS EarthNow! website, and archive images from both satellites can be previewed and ordered at EarthExplorer or at the USGS Global Visualization Viewer.

USGS press release: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1881



triangle down January 25, 2008 – Landsat 5 Update

The USGS is pleased to announce that Landsat 5 tested imaging with the Thematic Mapper on January 10, 2008 during a pass over Brazil and Argentina.

Landsat 5 imaging was suspended on October 6, 2007 due to a loss of a cell within one of two batteries. The Landsat Flight Operations Team has determined the status of the power system and potential solutions for maximum imaging operations. We are still in a testing phase, as the new battery configuration is being characterized. Experts in Thematic Mapper data have determined that the sensor is operating normally. We expect to return to a new operational state in upcoming weeks.



triangle down January 22, 2008 – High Volume Distribution for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is requesting information from individuals and organizations with an interest in accessing and regularly acquiring large volumes of data from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) earth science data archive. The attached request for information (RFI) is being issued in support of ongoing requirements definition activities for the LDCM ground system. User feedback from this survey will be used in defining and prioritizing potential high volume data distribution requirements and associated future system implementation efforts for the LDCM ground system.

The USGS LDCM Project welcomes your written response to the questions included in the RFI by March 1, 2008. Please send your response to the point of contact given below. Electronic responses via email are preferred.

Mr. John Dwyer
USGS Center for EROS
47914 252nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
dwyer@usgs.gov

triangle down January 17, 2008 – Landsat Data Policy Released

The Landsat Data Policy document establishes Landsat Program Management Policy for distributing products derived from Landsat data collected by the U.S. since 1972. This Policy supersedes all previous Landsat data policies. View Entire document - .pdf (232 bytes)







Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://landsat.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: landsat@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: November 23, 2009
Sitemap