On July 23, 1972, Landsat 1 launched from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex to provide valuable data to improve life on Earth. Over the past 50 years, Landsat’s 1-9 has:
- Tracked patterns & changes in the environment and the impact of humanity’s progression into the 21st century.
- Provided the first creditable data on deforestation in the Amazon.
- Gave insight into food production and agricultural manufacturing across the globe.
- Monitored the quality of water around coastlines and contributed to following coral populations.
- Observed the decrease of the ice in mountain ranges & glaciers worldwide.
- So much more!
Landsat 9 just launched last September and will continue into the next decade, with Landsat Next estimated to launch in 2029/2030.
NASA, in collaboration with the United States Geographical Survey (USGS), provides all Landsat data for everyone to use alongside fun and educational resources. Check out the links below to dive into this amazing program!
