Landsat
Landsat Next likely to bear little resemblance to its predecessors
NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey plan to issue a Request for Information by the end of the year on instrumentation and platforms for Landsat Next, the Earth observation system to follow Landsat 9.
Descartes Labs forms imagery partnership with Airbus
Descartes Labs announced Aug. 15 a partnership with Airbus to feed high resolution global imagery into its geospatial data platform. The Sante Fe, New Mexico-based startup also completed beta testing of its cloud-based “data refinery,” and added weather data.
Next Landsat spacecraft would launch two years sooner under White House plan
The Obama administration is proposing to accelerate efforts to build the Landsat 9 satellite and launch it in 2021 instead of 2023 as currently planned.
House, Senate Bills Deny Funds for Landsat Backup Capability
NASA should focus on building the next full-scale Earth-observing satellite in its long-running Landsat series and forget about a proposed interim capability to ensure continuous coverage in the infrared bands, House and Senate lawmakers said in separate 2016 spending bills drafted in June.
Landsat 9 Office Opens at Goddard; Procurement Decisions Loom
While Landsat 9's program office is now operational at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, major procurement decisions for the next in the long series of land-imagining satellites may not be made until fall, a senior NASA official said.
NASA Official: A Landsat 8 Clone Would Cost More Than $650 Million
In responding to Congress, NASA is mulling three possible Landsat 9 architectures, but none fit the constraints lawmakers laid out in the spending bill signed in September.
VIDEO | Peeling Back Landsat’s Layers of Data
MDA Corp. said it reduced its debt in 2013 and will now turn its focus to growth including acquisitions.
Landsat Users Revisit Old Debates as White House Awaits Sustainability Plan
As one of the nation’s two primary land-imaging satellites nears the end of its operational life, NASA and the USGS are evaluating ways to acquire future observations, such as continued reliance on large spacecraft, flying multiple small satellites and working with international partners.
USGS Official Makes Case for a Landsat Block Buy
The U.S. government should consider ordering a pair of Landsat spacecraft to ensure at least another two decades of continuous collection of medium-resolution land imagery.
New NRC Report Calls for Sustained Landsat Program
An NRC report called for a “systematic and deliberate program” to prevent a disruption in Landsat’s 40-year record of moderate-resolution land imagery.
Taking a Cue from U.S. Landsat and GPS Programs, Europe Permits Free Access to Sentinel Earth Observation Data
The Commission concluded any harm to private-sector satellite operators will be outweighed by the expected growth in value-added services derived from the data.
USGS Issues Final Command to Landsat 5
The U.S. Geological Survey officially ends a mission that launched more than 29 years ago.
USGS Takes Control of Landsat 8 Spacecraft for Five-Year Mission
Landsat 8’s five-year mission is to map changes to Earth’s surface from a polar orbit about 700 kilometers above the planet.
