Landsat Missions
Publications
LandsatEarth observation satellites
Harmonizing the Landsat ground reference with the Sentinel-2 Global Reference Image using space-based bundle adjustment
There is an ever-increasing need to use accurate and consistent geometric ground reference in the processing of remotely sensed data products as it reduces the burden on the end-users to account for the differences between the data products from different missions. In this regard, United States Geological Survey (USGS) initiated an effort to...
Rengarajan, Rajagopalan; Storey, James C.; Choate, Michael Landsat Collection 2 geometric calibration updates
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) changed the management and delivery of Landsat products to the public in its archive through the implementation of Collections. The Collections process ensures consistent data quality through time and across all the Landsat sensors with a few modifications to the metadata. The consistent data products from...
Rengarajan, R.; Choate, Michael; Storey, James C.; Franks, Shannon; Micijevic, Esad
40 years strong—Long-time Geoscience Australia, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnership benefits both agencies and the world
In 1979, the Australian Government chose the city of Alice Springs to host a Landsat Ground Station because of its location in central Australia. This location enables satellite coverage of the entire Australian continent. Its antennas have played a key role in supporting international satellite programs over more than 40 years.
National Land Imaging Program
Changes taking place across the Earth’s land surface have the potential to affect people, economies, and the environment on a daily basis. Our Nation’s economic security and environmental vitality rely on continuous monitoring of the Earth’s continents, islands, and coastal regions to record, study, and understand land change at local, regional,...
Young, Steven M. Landsat 9: Empowering open science and applications through continuity
The history of Earth observation from space is well reflected through the Landsat program. With data collection beginning with Landsat-1 in 1972, the program has evolved technical capabilities while maintaining continuity of land observations. In so doing, Landsat has provided a critical reference for assessing long-term changes to Earth's land...
Masek, Jeffery G.; Wulder, Michael A.; Markham, Brian; McCorkel, Joel; Crawford, Christopher J.; Storey, James C.; Jenstrom, Del The U. S. Geological Survey’s approach to analysis ready data
Analysis Ready Data (ARD) is a recent concept in Earth observing remote sensing which encompasses many different initiatives by individual imagery providers and collaborative international organizations working towards easing/minimizing data preprocessing required by users. This allows users to spend more time on analysis and less time on...
Anderson, Cody; Labahn, Steven; Helder, Dennis; Stensaas, Gregory L.; Engebretson, Christopher; Crawford, Christopher J.; Jenkerson, Calli B.; Barnes, Christopher
Economic valuation of landsat imagery
Landsat satellites have been operating since 1972, providing a continuous global record of the Earth’s land surface. The imagery is currently available at no cost through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A previous USGS study estimated that Landsat imagery provided users an annual benefit of $2.19 billion in 2011, with U.S. users accounting for...
Straub, Crista L.; Koontz, Stephen R.; Loomis, John B. Bundle adjustment using space based triangulation method for improving the Landsat global ground reference
There is an ever-increasing interest and need for accurate geo-registration of remotely sensed data products to a common global geometric reference. Although the geo-registration has improved significantly in the last decade, the lack of an accurate global ground reference dataset poses serious issues for data providers seeking to make...
Choate, Michael; Storey, James C.; Rengarajan, R.; Choate, Michael J. User needs for future Landsat missions
Landsat satellites have been operating since 1972, providing the longest continuous observation record of the Earth’s land surface. Over the past half century, the Landsat user community has grown exponentially, encompassing more diverse and evolving scientific research and operational uses. Understanding current and future user needs is crucial...
Wu, Zhuoting; Snyder, Gregory; Vadnais, Carolyn M.; Arora, Rohit; Babcock, Michael; Stensaas, Gregory L.; Doucette, Peter; Newman, Timothy
Landsat 9
Landsat 9 is a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that will continue the Landsat program’s critical role of repeat global observations for monitoring, understanding, and managing Earth’s natural resources. Since 1972, Landsat data have provided a unique resource for...
Landsat: The cornerstone of global land imaging
Since 1972, the joint NASA/ U.S. Geological Survey Landsat series of Earth Observation satellites have provided an uninterrupted space-based data record of the Earth’s land surface to help advance scientific research towards the understanding of our planet and the environmental impact of its inhabitants. Early Landsat satellites offered a wealth...
Butcher, Ginger; Barnes, Christopher; Owen, Linda Landsat benefiting society for fifty years
Since 1972, data acquired by the Landsat series of satellites have become integral to land management for both government and the private sector, providing scientists and decision makers with key information about agricultural productivity, ice sheet dynamics, urban growth, forest monitoring, natural resource management, water quality, and...
Rocchio, Laura E. P.; Connot, Peggy; Young, Steve; Ramsayer, Kate; Owen, Linda; Bouchard, Michelle; Barnes, Christopher