Landsat 8 and the Future of Global Land Observation

NASA, working jointly with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is preparing to launch the United States’ next Earth-monitoring satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on February 11. The spacecraft—initially designated the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM)—will undergo several months of system verification before officially receiving the name Landsat 8 and transitioning to USGS operational control. Its deployment ensures the continuation of the world’s longest uninterrupted space-based record of Earth’s land surfaces.

Maintaining this multi-decade dataset is increasingly critical as global population growth intensifies human influence on ecosystems. Consistent, comparable satellite observations allow researchers and policymakers to track environmental trends and anticipate future changes with greater confidence.

Expanding Human Vision Through Remote Sensing

Satellite imagery collected by the Landsat program serves professionals responsible for managing agriculture, water resources, forests, and other essential assets. Rather than producing simple photographs, Landsat sensors capture information across multiple wavelengths—both visible and invisible—revealing details that cannot be detected by the human eye.

These multi-spectral observations make it possible to:

• Detect healthy versus stressed vegetation
• Identify drought conditions and wildfire risk zones
• Measure shoreline shifts and river course alterations
• Track erosion, land-use transitions, and urban expansion

Each Landsat scene spans roughly 12,000 square miles while maintaining ground detail comparable to the size of a baseball diamond. From an orbital altitude exceeding 400 miles, a single pass can document the condition of vast agricultural regions, grasslands, and forested areas. The system is capable of identifying gradual environmental recovery, such as post-drought vegetation growth, as well as dramatic transformations caused by urbanization or natural disasters.

Over time, Landsat data has supported studies of glacier retreat, water quality trends, coral reef conditions, sea ice movement, invasive species spread, deforestation, and population-related land changes. It has also provided rapid assessments following events like wildfires, floods, and tsunamis.

Open Access Data Driving Innovation

The U.S. Department of the Interior maintains a policy of free and unrestricted access to Landsat imagery. This open-data approach has stimulated global research activity and enabled new commercial and scientific applications. Businesses in agriculture and forestry rely on the data for operational planning, while land managers and environmental scientists use it to evaluate long-term ecological challenges.

Because Landsat provides a consistent, globally standardized historical archive, it is widely regarded as the benchmark dataset for land observation. Shared access to authoritative imagery also strengthens collaboration among governments, scientists, and the public, fostering broader understanding of environmental pressures worldwide.

Origins of the Landsat Program

The foundation of the Landsat initiative dates to 1966, when U.S. Interior Secretary Stewart Udall introduced Project EROS—Earth Resources Observation Satellites—emphasizing the need to apply space technology to resource management challenges driven by industrial expansion and population growth. This vision ultimately led to the launch of the first civilian land-imaging satellite in 1972, developed by NASA and operated in partnership with USGS.

NASA and USGS: Complementary Responsibilities

Within the Landsat program, NASA and USGS share clearly defined duties:

• NASA designs and builds spacecraft and instruments, conducts launches, and verifies performance during initial operations.
• USGS assumes long-term control, overseeing satellite operations, receiving ground data, archiving imagery, producing data products, and distributing them worldwide.

USGS has managed the long-term operation of Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 for many years. After nearly three decades in orbit, Landsat 5—launched in 1984—completed more than 150,000 Earth revolutions and transmitted over 2.5 million images before retirement, vastly exceeding its original three-year design life. Its observations documented significant global events including volcanic eruptions, environmental disasters, forest loss, flooding, and changes in polar ice coverage, greatly expanding scientific knowledge of human and natural impacts on the planet.

Landsat 7, placed in orbit in 1999, continues to deliver daily global observations despite reduced data capture caused by an instrument malfunction.

Landsat 8 Instruments and Technical Advances

Landsat 8 carries two primary sensors:

• Operational Land Imager (OLI)
• Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS)

These instruments incorporate improved sensitivity and reliability while preserving compatibility with earlier Landsat datasets, ensuring long-term continuity for scientific analysis. Compared with Landsat 7, the new satellite offers:

• Broader spectral measurement capability
• Greater radiometric accuracy and precision
• Approximately 60% more daily image acquisitions

The spacecraft will circle Earth every 99 minutes at an average altitude of 705 kilometers (438 miles), revisiting the same ground track every 16 days. Processed imagery is expected to become available through the USGS archive within roughly 100 days after launch.

Monitoring Earth for the Decades Ahead

By extending the multi-decade Landsat record, Landsat 8 strengthens the world’s ability to monitor environmental conditions, respond to disasters, and guide sustainable resource management. Continuous, freely accessible satellite observations remain an essential tool for understanding how natural systems and human activities reshape the planet over time.