Landsat Known Issues

By Landsat Missions

Landsat data are corrected for geometric, radiometric, and terrain features using accurate measurements, exact precision, and stringent calibration measurements. This ensures Landsat standard products are of the highest quality.

Occasionally, satellite or sensor anomalies occur that affect the data that is acquired. This page describes the anomalies that are discovered and investigated.

Return to Calibration Overview

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation Center of Excellence (ECCOE) Landsat Cal/Val Team continually monitors the geometric and radiometric performance of active Landsat missions and makes calibration adjustments, as needed, to maintain data quality at the highest level. The team investigates and tracks anomalies discovered in Landsat data and monitors satellite sensors for changes.

Looking for Landsat Collection 2 specific issues? Visit the Landsat Collection 2 Known Issues webpage.

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