Landsat and LDCM Headlines 2012

Landsat 7 maneuvered away from a piece of space debris in mid-April, which meant that some data are outside of the Worldwide Reference System. On Tuesday, May 15, the USGS Flight Operations Team will execute a maneuver that over several weeks will gradually bring Landsat 7 back into the correct orbit. There will be no new acquisitions from Tuesday May 15, through mid-day Wednesday May 16, 2012.

After a silent winter, the USGS turned on the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) in late April to determine the state of the electronics problem that suspended operations in November, 2011. Unfortunately, several alternate methods of acquisitions did not alleviate the problem, which severely limits any further acquisitions with the TM. Currently, the USGS plans to acquire only a handful of images over the next few weeks as we examine our options. Landsat 5 has a long and storied career, and the data collected are invaluable to the study of our Earth.

The Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) instrument on Landsat 5 has been reactivated and MSS data are being collected over the United States. The MSS data are being archived but processing and distribution of the data will not be possible until the USGS develops the necessary product generation capabilities.

Plans to test the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper downlink begin today, April 25, 2012. Data may be visible on the EarthNow! (http://earthnow.usgs.gov) during testing. However, the data will not be available for download by users until completion of analysis and calibration.

More than half a million pieces of space junk are in orbit floating in and around operational missions. In coordination with NASA, the USGS keeps constant vigil to avoid space debris that might collide with the Landsat 5 and 7 satellites.

On April 17, 2012, Landsat 7 maneuvered out of the path of a piece of debris that was on a collision course with the spacecraft. This move will affect the location of the data imaged. As a result, the geographic coverage of collected imagery will drift to the west until the easternmost portion of the scene will be missing as compared to previous acquisitions. The most affected region will be the Tropics, which will begin seeing a small offset on or around April 25.

The westward movement will continue until the USGS Flight Operations Team can maneuver and reposition the satellite to its proper orbit. This process is expected to take approximately 2 months, and the USGS will continue to acquire data during this time. Details about returning to nominal orbit will be announced when they become available.

Landsat 5 recently captured and downlinked Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images for the first time in over a decade. An MSS sensor first flew on Landsat 1 in 1972 and was aboard each of the Landsats 1-5. The MSS was powered down on Landsat 5 in the late 1990's, but the USGS recently turned on the MSS to determine the current state of the sensor. The USGS successfully downlinked raw data from the MSS for several successful passes in the past two weeks. Due to the length of its inactivity, much analysis and testing still lie ahead to determine the quality of the data, and the ability of the USGS to collect, process, and distribute the data. Therefore, MSS data distribution is by no means a certainty.

Landsat MSS data acquired April 2012

The U.S. Geological Survey, Center for EROS, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is seeking proposals from scientists and engineers interested in serving on the Landsat Science Team. The Landsat Science Team will conduct research on issues critical to the effective utilization of Landsat data. Proposals are sought that address data acquisition, data calibration, sensor performance, product access and format, user applications, and science opportunities for new- and past-generation Landsat data. The Team plays a critical role in reducing mission risks and ensuring that critical design and functionality issues are addressed. The government anticipates multiple awards from this solicitation.

There are two parallel opportunities for candidates interested in serving on the Landsat Science Team. Academic, industry, and non-governmental scientists and engineers can compete for funded research and development contracts. Interested parties may obtain a copy of the RFP electronically at https://www.fedconnect.net/Fedconnect/ All interested offerors responding to this Request for Proposals should download the solicitation from the website given and provide a written response by the due date indicated on the solicitation.

Details on Landsat Science Team opportunities for Federal and international scientists and engineers, as well as proposal instructions can be found here.

At the Association for American Geographer's Annual Meeting, Anne Castle spoke to Landsat's long legacy, its benefit to humanity, and the future of the mission. In her presentation, you can find striking images of our planet, graphics on how Landsat is for research and operational analysis, statistics on the importance of free data, and the promise of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM).

LDCM Observatory with both instruments onboard, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS). LDCM is due to launch in January 2013.

March 1, 2012: Happy 28th Birthday Landsat 5!

The 40^th Landsat Ground Station Operators Working Group Meeting was held January 30 through February 3, 2012, in Bali, Indonesia. LGSOWG#40 was hosted by the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN).

Many ground station management topics were discussed among the participants from 17 countries, including members of the USGS Landsat and Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Projects. Together, the group represented 23 U.S. and international ground stations.

The USGS presented material on the Land Satellites Data System (LSDS) and future missions, including LDCM and Landsat 9. LDCM presentations included project and ground system development status, including plans and timelines for ground system processing software availability and upcoming International Cooperator ground system interface testing. A Landsat Science Team update was also presented.

Landsat Operations presentations included status reports on the Landsat 5 and 7 missions, the Global Land Survey activity, and the Landsat Global Archive Consolidation initiative. A detailed status on recovery of the Landsat 5 mission was also provided.

Attendees also participated in the following special science collaboration topics:

• Carbon Monitoring
• Web-enabled Landsat Data (WELD)
• Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) and Climate Data Records (CDRs)
• Long Term Acquisition Plan (LTAP)

Each International Cooperator briefed the group on the status of their current ground systems (including electronic data delivery capabilities and challenges), presented their future satellite mission(s), and discussed the current status of Landsat Global Archive Consolidation activities.

International Cooperators and U.S. attendees included representatives from the following countries and organizations:

• Argentina (CONAE)
• Australia (GA-NEO, DCCEE)
• Brazil (INPE)
• Canada (CCRS)
• China (CEODE)
• Europe (ESA)
• Germany (DLR)
• India (ISRO)
• Indonesia (LAPAN)
• Japan (RESTEC)
• Russia (ScanEx)
• Saudi Arabia (KACST)
• South Africa (SANSA, PinkMatter)
• Sweden (SSC)
• Taiwan (CSRSR-NCU)
• Thailand (GISTDA, Precise Steel)
• United States (USGS, Aerospace, MSI, SeaSpace)

Landsat 5 imaging was suspended in November 2011 when a vital transmission component showed signs of imminent failure. The Flight Operations Team continues to explore options, which include alternate operating procedures for the Thematic Mapper and evaluation of the other sensor onboard, the Multispectral Scanner. For details see the USGS Newsroom.

The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) instrument was shipped from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) in Gilbert, Arizona, where it will be integrated with the LDCM satellite bus built by OSC. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) instrument, built by Ball Aerospace Technology Corporation (BATC) in Boulder, Colorado, is currently in the process of being integrated with the spacecraft. The delivery of TIRS achieves a major milestone towards completing assembling the LDCM observatory.

Alan Belward, head of the Land Resource Management Unit with the Institute for Environment and Sustainability at the European Commission's Joint Research Center, talks about why Landsat is important to global forest mapping. Dr. Belward states that Landsat is a unique tool because of its 40-year time span, its archive of global images, and its free and open access. To hear the complete interview, visit EarthSky.

The NASA TIRS instrument development team successfully completed the Pre-Ship Review (PSR), capping a major milestone for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission. TIRS development was completed in 43 months on an aggressive schedule to meet a January, 2013 launch readiness date.

The TIRS instrument completed the last of its functional testing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.