Landsat Known Issues

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Landsat data are systematic, geometric, radiometric, and terrain corrected to provide the highest quality data to the user communities. Occasionally, anomalies occur, and artifacts are discovered that require research and monitoring. The Landsat Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) team investigates and tracks anomalous data and monitors satellite sensors for changes.

For known issues from processing the data into Collection 2, please visit Landsat Collection 2 Known Issues

Banding: Affects Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) data

Coherent Noise:  Affects Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data

Coherent Noise Storm: Affected Landsat 7 data on May 29, 2003

Data Loss: Affected Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 data mainly until 2006, although data loss can happen at any time

Detector Failure:  Affects Landsat 5 TM data, found once in Landsat 7 data

Detector Ringing: Affects Landsat 7 data

Detector Striping: Can affect data from all sensors

Gimbaled X-Band Antenna (GXA): Affected Landsat 7 data from launch to April 2000

Impulse Noise: Can affect data from all sensors

Internal Calibrator (IC) Intrusion: Affected Landsat 7 data from launch to April 2007

Line Start Anomaly: Affected Landsat 3 MSS data

Lower Truncation Acquisitions: Affects Landsat 8 data

Memory Effect:  Affects Landsat 1-5 Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) data

Optical Leak: Affects Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 data

Oversaturation: Can affect data from all sensors

Scan Correlated Shift: Affected Landsat 4-5 MSS data

Scan Mirror Pulse:  Affected Landsat MSS data

Shutter Synchronization Anomalies: Has affected Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 data

Single Event Upsets: Has affected Landsat 7 data

Solid State Recorder Bad Block Issue: Affects Landsat 9 data

Thermal Infrared Sensor Scene Select Mechanism Anomaly: Affected Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor