Operation Handover: On August 11th, NASA will pass the operational control of the Landsat 9 satellite to the USGS.
The joint Landsat Program has provided continuous global coverage of landscape change since 1972. Landsat’s unique, long-term data record provides the basis for a critical understanding of environmental and climate change.
Landsat 9 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on September 27 of last year. Since then, NASA mission engineers and scientists, with USGS collaboration, have been putting the satellite through its paces – steering it into its orbit, calibrating the sensors, and collecting test images in the U.S. and around the world.
The global Earth Observation (EO) program recently marked an unparalleled 50 years of continuous service on July 23 (1972-2022). To mark this occasion, USGS and NASA will host a ceremony at USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, which will stream live on USGS Landsat | Facebook from 1:30-2:30 pm CST.