October 28, 2015 - Landsat 8 Thermal Sensor Electronics Condition

By Landsat Missions

The Landsat 8 Flight Operations Team is monitoring an increasing trend in the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) B-Side Encoder Electronics current.

This condition is similar to the previous observations made on the Encoder A-Side electronics during the fall of 2014.

In order to prepare for a potential change to TIRS standard operations, the Flight Operations team, in conjunction with the Calibration and Validation team, will be conducting tests to better characterize the Scene Select Mirror in alternative modes of operation. Testing will occur between October 29, 2015 and November 12, 2015.

During this time, science users may notice slight changes in the TIRS field of view (FOV) relative to that of the Operational Land Imager (OLI) FOV; however, the TIRS bands will remain co-registered with the OLI bands.

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