Planetary Environments Laboratory

Landsat 9

Class:

Flight Project

Status:

Operational

Organizations:

Launch Date:

September 2021

WEBSITE:

Landsat 9, a joint NASA and U.S. Geological Survey satellite mission, launched on September 27, 2021, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and will extend the Earth-observing program’s record of land images to half a century.

The Landsat program has provided accurate measurements of Earth’s land cover since 1972. With data from Landsat satellites, ecologists have tracked deforestation in South America, water managers have monitored irrigation of farmland in the American West, and researchers have watched the growth of cities worldwide. With the help of the program’s open archive, firefighters have assessed the severity of wildfires and scientists have mapped the retreat of mountain glaciers.

Key Staff
Illustration of Landsat 9 spacecraft in orbit around Earth