Eyes on Earth Episode 87 – Landsat 5’s Significance, Part 1

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Summary: Designed to last three years, Landsat 5 launched in 1984 and transmitted data until the launch of Landsat 8 in 2013. In this episode, we learn about the significance of this satellite, which set a Guinness World Record for “Longest Operating Earth Observation Satellite.” Our two guests served on the flight operations team in the satellite’s twilight years and describe its importance to the unbroken record of Landsat data. They also share their personal connections with the satellite—including a journey from watching the launch on a monitor at EROS to eventually leading the team.

Guests: Steve Covington, former Landsat 5 flight manager, now Aerospace Corp. contractor serving as the principal systems engineer for the USGS National Land Imaging Program; and Jeff Devine, former Landsat 5 lead operations engineer, now KBR contractor leading the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Flight Operations Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Host: Jane Lawson (contractor for USGS EROS)

Producer: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)

Release date: Monday, January 9, 2023

More about Landsat 5:

• Episode 88—Landsat 5's Significance, Part 2
• Landsat 5—Landsat Missions
• USGS Geonarrative—Landsat 5
• The Legacy of Landsat 5—farewells from the remote sensing community
• How to Manage a Satellite Going 17K MPH—Library of Congress presentation by Steve Covington