Landsat Science Team Responsibilities
The overall responsibility of the Landsat Science Team is to offer informed advice and recommendations to the USGS and other partners on topics that will affect the overall success of the Landsat missions.
The Team members must be knowledgeable on topics related to more effective use of archived data from Landsat sensors and on the requirements for future sensors needed to address the needs of scientists and other users of Landsat-type data.
Although the panel's role is advisory, Landsat Science Team members address many specific objectives:
The Landsat Science Team generally meets two times each year, or more frequently if issues arise that require additional direct dialog. During these meetings, Landsat Science Team members present their research that is relevant to the meeting topics, and are briefed by USGS and NASA staff on mission and program status. Landsat Science Team members are expected to broadly share results of their Landsat research and facilitate technical exchange with the Landsat user community. All presentation materials are available on the web soon after the completion of each meeting.
Landsat Science Team members are tasked to provide scientific and technical evaluations on topics that are deemed important across the Landsat user community, for example:
Data Characterization
Landsat Science Data Products
- Requirements, strategies, algorithms and approaches for developing Landsat Science products
- Defining new innovative Landsat standard and derived products
Data Applications
- Advanced methods or strategies for multi-decadal and large-area land change assessments
- New applications and research capabilities resulting from the Landsat free data policy
- Value of Landsat for addressing societal issues
Measures of Success
The success of Landsat missions are marked by the complete integration of newly acquired data with past and present remotely sensed data for the purpose of observing and monitoring global environmental systems. Specific Landsat Science Team measures of success include:
These measures provide direct benefits to the DOI, USGS, and NASA as they plan for and implement future missions, and continue to improve the relevance of all archived Landsat data.