Landsat Special Requests: Expanding Acquisition Capabilities

This video is a recording of a previous webinar entitled: “Landsat Special Requests: Expanding Acquisition Capabilities”. This webinar was recorded on April 16, 2026. 

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center maintains one of the largest civilian collection of images of the Earth’s land surface. At EROS we study land change and produce land change data products used by researchers, resource managers, and policy makers across the nation and around the world. The EROS User Services team provides assistance and outreach to help users in the data community access and work with data distributed from EROS. As part of the outreach effort, the EROS User Services team provides the EROS User Experience webinar series, where we talk to staff at EROS to learn more about the data, tools, and services provided by the USGS EROS. This webinar on Landsat Special Requests was part of that series.

This webinar introduces participants to the purpose, value, and workflow of Landsat Special Requests. We’ll begin with a brief review of Landsat’s Data Acquisition Plan, which directs the acquisitions of nearly 750 scenes each day for Landsat 8 and Landsat 9, and explains why most acquisitions focus on daytime land surfaces. After establishing this foundation, we will explore how Special Requests allow scientists to obtain observations that fall outside of the standard acquisition plan. 

Using real-world examples including nighttime urban heat measurements and near polar ice extent imaging, we will demonstrate how Special Requests expand research possibilities across a wide range of scientific applications. 

Participants will learn how to access request forms, complete and submit them correctly (including a walkthrough), understand the approval process, and retrieve acquired data through the USGS EarthExplorer data portal. We will also discuss typical timelines, limitations, and common reasons for approval or denial to help users set realistic expectations. 

By the end of the session, participants will have a clear, practical understanding of when and how to submit effective Landsat Special Requests and how these acquisitions can significantly enhance scientific investigations. 

The webinar closed with a question-and-answer session for anything related to Landsat data, or the tools used to access, process, and download the data.   

Additional information and links related to this webinar:     

• Landsat acquisitions page:  https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-acquisitions  
• Landsat acquisition tool: https://landsat.usgs.gov/landsat_acq   
• EarthExplorer: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/   
• EROS Registration System (ERS) Account: https://ers.cr.usgs.gov/  
• EarthExplorer webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbzQunkT_s 
• Landsat Long Term Acquisition Plan: https://www.usgs.gov/data/landsat-89-long-term-acquisition-plan-earths-continental-landmasses-and-n…   
• Landsat Extended Acquisition Plan (LEAP):  https://www.usgs.gov/data/leap-landsat-extended-acquisitions-poles-imaging-plan   
• User Services Page:  https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/eros-user-services 
• Landsat Missions: https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions    
• Landsat Product Information: https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/product-information   
• Landsat Data Access: https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-data-access   
• Read the Landsat Headlines: https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-mission-headlines   
• Subscribe to the Latest in Landsat Newsletter: https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/news   
• Previous recordings from this webinar series can be found on EROS User Experience Webinars webpage.    
• Follow the USGS EROS on Social Media:  
  • https://x.com/USGS_EROS 
  • https://www.facebook.com/USGSEROS 
  • https://www.instagram.com/usgs_eros/ 
• Follow Landsat on Social Media:
  • https://www.facebook.com/USGSLandsatProgram 
  • https://www.instagram.com/usgslandsat/ 
  • https://x.com/USGSLandsat 

To join the EROS User Group and sign up to be notified of future webinars in this series, please visit: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/eros-user-services.