Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Eyes on Earth Episode 60 – Landsat 9 Launch 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 hear interviews with some of the various agency officials gathered before the Landsat 9 launch.

Download and Transcript Access

Thumbnail for Eyes on Earth podcast episode 60 - Landsat 9 launch part 1
Landsat 9 inside the payload fairing of an Atlas V rocket.

Summary: Landsat 9 launched into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday, September 27, 2021, to carry on the legacy of a nearly 50-year record of continuous Earth observation that began in 1972. The days leading up to the event saw guests from around the world descend upon Santa Barbara County in California to watch the historic event take place. Over the next few weeks, we’ll bring you some of the interviews we collected with scientists, government officials and Mission partners. This episode of Eyes on Earth focuses on the day before the launch, when we spoke about the importance of the Landsat program with guests at the launchpad and a Landsat for Climate event.

Guests: Tanya Trujillo, Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Water and Science; Tony Willardson, Director of the Western States Water Council; Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the California Water Resources Control Board; Kevin Gallagher, Associate Director of USGS Core Science Systems

Host: John Hult

Producer: John Hult

Release date: October 13, 2021

More on Landsat 9: