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Biospheric Sciences
Operational

Landsat

The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected information about Earth from space. This science, known as remote sensing, has matured with the Landsat Program. Landsat satellites have taken specialized digital photographs of Earth’s continents and surrounding coastal regions for over four decades, enabling people to study many aspects of our planet and to evaluate the dynamic changes caused by both natural processes and human practices.

Launch Date
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Class
Flight Project
Websites

The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected information about Earth from space. This science, known as remote sensing, has matured with the Landsat Program. Landsat satellites have taken specialized digital photographs of Earth’s continents and surrounding coastal regions for over four decades, enabling people to study many aspects of our planet and to evaluate the dynamic changes caused by both natural processes and human practices.

Related Publications

2026. "Physiological fidelity of a satellite-derived forest resilience indicator in the Amazon.", Nature Ecology & Evolution, [10.1038/s41559-026-03116-z] [Journal Article/Letter]

2026. "Landsat Instrument Suite (LandIS) sensor design for the Landsat 10 mission.", SSRN preprint, [10.2139/ssrn.7117559] [Journal Article/Letter]

2026. "Derivation and evaluation of Landsat-derived annual aboveground biomass maps for Arctic and Boreal North America, 1984-2022.", Remote Sensing of Environment, 341 115446 [10.1016/j.rse.2026.115446] [Journal Article/Letter]

2026. "Northward shift of boreal tree cover confirmed by satellite record.", Biogeosciences, [https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1089-2026] [Journal Article/Letter]

2025. "Use of GLOBE observer citizen science data to validate continental-scale canopy height maps derived from ICESat-2 and GEDI.", Frontiers in Environmental Science, 13 1635707 [10.3389/fenvs.2025.1635707] [Journal Article/Letter]