The USGS EROS Landsat Flight Operations Team recently completed the 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver for Landsat 8.
The Landsat Program is considered the gold standard for satellite Earth-observation imagery. To keep it that way, the USGS EROS Flight Operations Team continually monitors the flight paths of the Landsat satellites to make sure they stay at a consistent 705-kilometer altitude. That means frequently speeding it up to counter the effects of atmospheric drag. But that’s not all. The team accounts for solar activity, space junk, and other factors to keep the satellites safe. Landsat 8’s 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver in October 2023 gives us the opportunity, in this episode of Eyes on Earth, to talk about these and the other maneuvers the flight team executes and how they work.
Guest: Larry Tornabene, Flight Systems Manager for Landsat 8
Host: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Release date: Monday, November 20, 2023
Download and Transcript Access
More about Landsat:
- USGS Landsat Missions
- USGS Landsat 8 Interactive Story
- NASA Landsat Science—Landsat 8
- Landsat Satellites Operated from EROS for First Time
- Overview
The USGS EROS Landsat Flight Operations Team recently completed the 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver for Landsat 8.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Larry Tornabene. The Landsat Program is considered the gold standard for satellite Earth-observation imagery. To keep it that way, the USGS EROS Flight Operations Team continually monitors the flight paths of the Landsat satellites to make sure they stay at a consistent 705-kilometer altitude. That means frequently speeding it up to counter the effects of atmospheric drag. But that’s not all. The team accounts for solar activity, space junk, and other factors to keep the satellites safe. Landsat 8’s 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver in October 2023 gives us the opportunity, in this episode of Eyes on Earth, to talk about these and the other maneuvers the flight team executes and how they work.
Guest: Larry Tornabene, Flight Systems Manager for Landsat 8
Host: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)
Release date: Monday, November 20, 2023
Download and Transcript Access
More about Landsat:
- USGS Landsat Missions
- USGS Landsat 8 Interactive Story
- NASA Landsat Science—Landsat 8
- Landsat Satellites Operated from EROS for First Time