Our data, analysis tools, and analytical methods support satellite architecture studies, determine science mission requirements, inform international collaborations, and support investment decisions such as commercial data purchases.
Analysis
Landsat 10 Requirements
Landsat 10 will build upon the program’s legacy of providing free, global, and repeatable observations of our Earth's land change—supporting science, resource management, and policy decisions of the future.
We'll update this web page as more information becomes available.
Highlights
User Needs-Driven Landsat 10 Mission Design
Challenge: Over the past 50+ years, the Landsat data user community has grown exponentially. Understanding community user needs is crucial to informing the design of future Landsat missions.
What we did: In 2015, we initiated a community-wide user needs collection process, built an analytical tool and supported the 2019 Landsat Architecture Study Team (AST). We delivered the most comprehensive and data-driven user needs study since the beginning of the Landsat program, evaluating more than 200 different Landsat 10 architectures against more than 350 unique land imaging user needs.
Results: We identified specific enhancements for the Landsat 10 mission design and developed recommendations grounded in user needs.
Learn more about the Landsat 10 Mission.
Support the NASA Senior Review with Satellite Data Usage
Challenge: NASA’s Science Mission Directorate conducts regular reviews to guide the future of its operating missions. As such, the USGS is charged with providing well-documented information that identifies users of remote sensing data, their applications, dependencies, and justifies the impacts across various missions.
What we did: Every three years, since 2017, we submit our value tree and user needs data, along with our deep knowledge of the USGS and DOI user communities, to the NASA Earth Science Senior Review process, totaling more than 100 unique inputs to date.
Results: We routinely deliver detailed inputs into NASA’s evaluation and ranking of the mission utility, value, and latency; actively aiding in providing investment information related to Earth observation mission utility. The quantitative nature of the RCAEO data provided counts and specific project uses of utility to decision makers.
Learn more about NASA Senior Reviews.
Give Visibility to Civil User Needs
Challenge: The Civil Applications Committee (CAC) ensures that civil agencies can use remote sensing data from military and intelligence sources. As such, we are charged with routinely providing a coordinated set of civil, land imaging user needs that address relevant applications.
What we did: Annually, since 2020, we collect high resolution user needs to deliver an integrated, coordinated, and consistent set of civil application needs for consideration by the intelligence community. To date we have submitted over 220 needs for this purpose.
Results: We work to ensure that the needs of civil agency users are reflected in future intelligence community contracts. Doing so advances scientific research by supporting appropriate data sharing, while also improving government efficiency by managing that sharing through a single, cost‑effective mechanism.
Learn more about the Civil Applications Committee.
Assess National Land Imaging Data Acquisitions
Challenge: The Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) partnership directs the USGS to lead cross-agency efforts to identify user-driven gaps in land imaging capabilities and support the procurement agreements to augment SLI capabilities. As such, we are charged with evaluating land imaging user needs against space-based land imaging capabilities to identify gaps.
What we did: In 2021 we leveraged our database of 758 user needs and developed an innovative new tool to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in the current architecture, modeling and evaluating over 100 different satellite systems.
Results: We identified three specific commercial, space-based data acquisitions to supplement the existing land imaging architecture to meet needs.
Support USGEO Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG)
Challenge: The U.S. Group on Earth Observation’s (USGEO) SNWG surveys federal agencies to identify what Earth observation data they need to fulfill their mission and communicate satellite Earth-observing needs to NASA and other space-based Earth observation providers.
What we did: Biennially we collaborate with interagency partners to evaluate survey submissions to understand agency needs, discern gaps in the current Earth Observation (EO) program of record, and recommend potential solutions. National Land Imaging Program staff served on SNWG’s Solutions Applications Board to evaluate potential solutions based on several factors including scientific merit, impact, and feasibility.
Results: We have supported 3 SNWG cycles resulting in over 29 solutions including the widely used Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 product.
Learn more about the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG)
Lead USGEO’s Earth Observation Assessment
Challenge: The Earth Observation Assessment (EOA) evaluates the effectiveness of civil Earth observation systems in meeting federal objectives to guide investments and inform the National Plan for Civil Earth Observations.
What we did: Since 2012 we have led 3 EOAs actively facilitating the assessment process, collecting data, and analyzing results. Most recently we conducted a 2-year study to evaluate the use of Earth Observation data in agricultural, forestry, and climate sectors. We documented federal government use of 1,450 data products using over 3,000 Earth observation data sources.
Results: Our analysis highlighted how Earth observation data sources interconnect to bring societal benefits in agriculture, forestry, and climate. We documented over 20,000 data dependencies and provided a ranked list of the most impactful data sources to support these areas.
Learn more about the Earth Observation Assessment (EOA.
Assessing Wildland Fire Earth Observation Gaps
Challenge: Wildland fires have grown into a more serious and complex problem in recent years, causing increasingly severe damage. Professionals in this field rely on Earth observation data to understand the fire life cycle but data gaps limit comprehensive assessment.
What we did: In 2022, we conducted a 6-month evaluation of gaps in Earth observation systems and data related to pre-, active-, and post-wildland fire activities interviewing 99 subject matter experts.
Results: We identified 21 actionable recommendations addressing the gaps that would provide tangible, near-term benefits to stakeholders in the community.
Learn more about USGS Wildland Fire Science.
Analyze User Needs for the Sustainable Land Imaging Mission Alternatives Assessment Team (MAAT)
Challenge: In 2025, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) stood up the MAAT as an independent body to advise NASA on options to be responsive to the President’s budget request for the Fiscal Year 2026 by assessing alternative Landsat 10 architectures. As such, we were charged with evaluating the impact of alternative architectures on land imaging user needs.
What we did: Identified specific tradeoffs in various architectures in supporting the land imaging user community and maintaining Landsat user continuity.
Results: Delivered performance evaluations of Landsat 10 architecture options to inform MAAT recommendation development.
Learn more about the NASA SLI MAAT.
2023 Earth Observations Assessment Report: Agriculture & Forestry
United States Group on Earth Observations Reports
Challenge: Provide high level findings and recommendations from the 2023 National Earth Observation Assessment (EOA) for the Agriculture & Forestry Societal Benefit Area (SBA), conducted by the U.S. Group on Earth Observations, an interagency coordination mechanism for Departments and Federal Agencies' civil Earth observations activities.
What we did: Leveraged capacities in collecting and modeling Earth observation data to support a National assessment focusing on the agriculture and forestry sectors
Results: The EOA 2023 Agriculture & Forestry report provides a quantitative assessment of the Nation’s then-current portfolio of Earth observations (data, measurements derived from the systems, platforms, sensors, networks, etc.) that measure the Earth and its processes in support of agriculture and forestry objectives.
Access the 2023 EOA for agriculture and forestry report. Several USGS observing systems ranked in the top 10 percent of most impactful Earth observation inputs. Visit this USGS article to learn more about the USGS contributions to Earth observations.
Economic Valuation of Landsat and Landsat Next 2023
Challenge: Evaluate the economic benefit of the current Landsat program including estimates of benefits for the planned Landsat 10 satellite program – a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey and National Aeronautics and Space Administration – that calculates its 2023 value at \$25.6 billion — a marked increase from its 2017 estimate of \$3.45 billion. The “Economic Valuation of Landsat and Landsat Next 2023” study also highlights additional benefits, including more than a billion dollars’ worth of indirect benefits.
Results: The report estimates that Landsat 10 could bring in over \$33 billion in annual economic value.
Access the Economic Valuation of Landsat and Landsat Next 2023 study. Visit this USGS news article to see how results from this new economic evaluation compared to previous economic studies for Landsat.