Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
What are the acquisition schedules for the Landsat satellites?
The Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of 705 kilometers (438 miles) in a 185-kilometer (115-mile) swath, moving from north to south over the sunlit side of the Earth in a sun synchronous orbit, following the Worldwide Reference System (WRS-2). Each satellite makes a complete orbit every 99 minutes, completes about 14 full orbits each day, and crosses every point on Earth once every 16 days.
The satellite orbits are offset to allow 8-day repeat coverage of any Landsat scene area on the globe. Between the two satellites, approximately 1,500 scenes are added to the USGS archive each day.
Traveling on the descending (daytime) node from north to south, the satellites cross the equator on each pass at a time that provides the maximum illumination with minimum water vapor (haze and cloud build-up). Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 cross the equator at 10:00 a.m. +/- 15 minutes (mean local time) in their respective orbits
The Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites each acquire data in accordance with their respective Long Term Acquisition Plan (LTAP) using parameters such as seasonality, land definition, historical cloud cover, gain settings, and sun angle.
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Related
Can Landsat satellite acquisition requests be made for a specific date and location?
How can I find the acquisition time for a Landsat scene?
How do I search for and download ascending (nighttime) Landsat scenes?
How do I search for and download Landsat data?
How does data from Sentinel-2A’s MultiSpectral Instrument compare to Landsat data?
What are the band designations for the Landsat satellites?
After a Landsat scene is collected, when will it become available for search and download?
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has improved Landsat data quality and usability through the creation of Analysis Ready Data (ARD) for the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Landsat ARD greatly reduces the preparatory work currently required to do time-series analysis for understanding landscape change for operational and science users.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has improved Landsat data quality and usability through the creation of Analysis Ready Data (ARD) for the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Landsat ARD greatly reduces the preparatory work currently required to do time-series analysis for understanding landscape change for operational and science users.

Ted Scambos, Lead Scientist at the National Snow & Ice Data Center, talks about the roll of Landsat in his research studying polar regions.
Ted Scambos, Lead Scientist at the National Snow & Ice Data Center, talks about the roll of Landsat in his research studying polar regions.
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environment Record for Time Series Analysis
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environment Record for Time Series Analysis
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
On March 29-30, 2013, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (later named Landsat 8) was in position under the Landsat 7 satellite. This provided opportunities for near-coincident data collection from both satellites.
On March 29-30, 2013, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (later named Landsat 8) was in position under the Landsat 7 satellite. This provided opportunities for near-coincident data collection from both satellites.
U.S. Landsat Analysis Ready Data
Landsat Collections
Landsat benefiting society for fifty years
Related
Can Landsat satellite acquisition requests be made for a specific date and location?
How can I find the acquisition time for a Landsat scene?
How do I search for and download ascending (nighttime) Landsat scenes?
How do I search for and download Landsat data?
How does data from Sentinel-2A’s MultiSpectral Instrument compare to Landsat data?
What are the band designations for the Landsat satellites?
After a Landsat scene is collected, when will it become available for search and download?
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environmental Record for Time Series Analysis
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has improved Landsat data quality and usability through the creation of Analysis Ready Data (ARD) for the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Landsat ARD greatly reduces the preparatory work currently required to do time-series analysis for understanding landscape change for operational and science users.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has improved Landsat data quality and usability through the creation of Analysis Ready Data (ARD) for the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Landsat ARD greatly reduces the preparatory work currently required to do time-series analysis for understanding landscape change for operational and science users.

Ted Scambos, Lead Scientist at the National Snow & Ice Data Center, talks about the roll of Landsat in his research studying polar regions.
Ted Scambos, Lead Scientist at the National Snow & Ice Data Center, talks about the roll of Landsat in his research studying polar regions.
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.
This is the third video in a series describing the new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Collection 1 inventory structure. Collection 1 required the reprocessing of all archived Landsat data to achieve radiometric and geometric consistency of Level-1 products through time and across all Landsat sensors.
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environment Record for Time Series Analysis
Landsat Collections: Providing a Stable Environment Record for Time Series Analysis
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
The Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has created a video animation describing how Landsat 8 orbits the Earth. The video explains the 16-day cycle for capturing imagery of the entire world.
On March 29-30, 2013, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (later named Landsat 8) was in position under the Landsat 7 satellite. This provided opportunities for near-coincident data collection from both satellites.
On March 29-30, 2013, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (later named Landsat 8) was in position under the Landsat 7 satellite. This provided opportunities for near-coincident data collection from both satellites.