Land Remote Sensing Program Research and Applications

Excellence in Earth Observation Honored
The prestigious 2007 William T. Pecora Award has been presented to scientists who have achieved significant accomplishments in Earth Observation Research. Read More...

Kempthorne-Led U.S. Group on Earth Observations Announces Scientific Initiatives

Secretary Kempthorne Leads U.S. Delegation to International Earth Observation Summit in South Africa

Taking the Long View From Space
Learn what the USGS is doing in space, land remote sensing, the future of Landsat, and more with Barbara Ryan, USGS Associate Director for Geography.

White House Plan Calls for Interior to Host New Program for Nation's Land Imaging Efforts

The White House announced on August 14 the release of a plan for a national land-imaging program. The plan will serve as the framework for continuing the collection of moderate resolution multispectral remote-sensing data for the globe. The new program will be established at the U.S. Department of the Interior and will provide focused leadership and management for the nation’s land-imaging efforts. See links below for more information:

Plan for National Land Imaging Program Report Announcement [PDF]
Plan for National Land Imaging Program Report [PDF 6.79MB]

Commerical Remote Sensing Data Contract (CRSDC) The CRSDC directly support the President's Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy, signed in 2003, by providing a centralized mechanism for civil agencies to acquire commercial remote sensing products to support their mission needs in an efficient and coordinated way. Read More...

USGS Provides Compelling Images of Alabaugh Canyon Fire: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center has provided satellite imagery in the rehabilitation effort of Alabaugh Canyon following the most destructive fire in Black Hills recent history. Read More...

TerraLook: The USGS in cooperation with NASA is pleased to announce the release of the TerraLook data product. TerraLook images are designed for visual interpretation and display, and are of value to anyone who wants to see the changes to the Earth's surface over the last 30 years. Read More...

Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo. was selected to develop the Operational Land Imager instrument for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The LDCM is the successor to Landsat 7 and is scheduled for launch in July 2011. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. will manage the LDCM development in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS will be responsible for LDCM operations after launch and on-orbit checkout. Read More...

USGS Pilot Project Makes High-Quality Landsat Data Available Through Web: As of June 4, 2007, the USGS will be releasing selected Landsat 7 image data of the United States through the Web (glovis.usgs.gov or earthexplorer.usgs.gov). These data are of high quality with limited cloud cover. Read More...

2007 ASPRS Outstanding Service Award: LRS employees Barron R. Bradford, Raymond A. Byrnes, John W. Cullen, Martin Eckes, Jay W. Feuquay, and Bruce K. Quirk, and others who are part of the Future Land Imaging Interagency Working Group will be awarded the 2007 Outstanding Service Award at the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Professional Society's annual meeting, May 9, in Tampa, FL. They will be recognized for their efforts in developing a long term U.S. strategy for moderate resolution land imaging satellites. The interagency working group is led by Gene Whitney, Chair, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President. For more information see ASPRS Annual Conference

Landsat In Orbit...It Keeps Going and Going: On March 1, 2007, the Landsat 5 satellite began 24 years in orbit. This milestone is particularly impressive considering its operational lifespan was thought to be no more than three years. On April 15, 2007, Landsat 7 will complete its eighth year of operation. Landsat data is a vital component of an incredible array of research that includes wildfire mapping, crop identification, timber harvesting, desertification, climate change, habitat suitability and urban expansion. Data gathered by Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 continue to form the backbone of the 35-year-old global Landsat archive which contains millions of images of Earth's terrestrial environment and is maintained at the USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science.

Commercial Satellite Imagery Companies Partner with the U.S. Geological Survey in Support of the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters": For people caught in the throes of natural or technological disasters, rapid and accurate assessments of conditions on the ground are critical to saving lives and protecting property. Making such assessments just got easier. USGS has joined forces with two American commercial satellite imagery firms — DigitalGlobe and GeoEye in support of the global team of space and satellite agencies that constitute the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters". The International Charter works to provide emergency response satellite data free of charge to those affected by disasters anywhere in the world. Read More...

USGS Collaborates on Unique, Comprehensive View of Antarctica: The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is developing a unique and versatile map of Antarctica using satellite imagery. Read More...

U.S.-Canadian Science Pact to Improve Monitoring of Land Cover, Biodiversity, Climate Change: The U.S. Geological Survey and Natural Resources Canada have launched a high-tech satellite mapping initiative that can better monitor changes in the combined land cover of two of the world's largest nations. Read more...

DOI and NASA Honor Achievements in Remote Sensing: The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have announced the winners of the 2006 William T. Pecora Award, a prestigious federal award given to individuals and groups to recognize significant achievements in remote sensing. The 2006 Pecora Group Award was presented to the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Team for developing innovative techniques for providing unique atmospheric ozone, sulfur dioxide, and aerosol data for more than 25 years. The presentation took place at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting on December 13, 2006, in San Francisco.12/14/2006 Read more...

EarthNow! displays data received from the Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites as they pass over the United States. When a Landsat satellite passes within range of the ground station at the USGS EROS center, image data are downlinked and displayed in near-real time. When Landsat 5 and 7 are not in range, the most recent 10 passes are repeated until the satellites are back in range. EarthNow! was created as an outreach tool by the Landsat project at the EROS center, and a version was installed on Nov. 11, at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

USGS and NASA Select Landsat Science Team: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), announces the selection of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Science Team. These scientists and engineers will advise the USGS and NASA on issues critical to the success of the LDCM. Expected to launch soon after 2010, the LDCM is designed to supply Landsat-like data from the next generation of Earth observing satellites. More...

LRS goes Smithsonian! LRS is the principle sponsor of the new Earth from Space traveling exhibition for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The exhibition and complimentary website celebrate the contributions satellites have made in understanding our planet. More ...

Deadline: Oct 20, 2006 New Orleans RADARSAT-1 Subsidence Preliminary Announcement of Opportunity: "The Canadian Space Agency (CSA), in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), will be launching an Announcement of Opportunity for researching new developments in interferometric applications of RADARSAT-1 data and innovative mapping approaches to better illustrate subsidence."

Jay Feuquay - May 2006
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of our dear friend and colleague Jay Feuquay after several months of illness. More...

Hyperion Systematic Terrain-Corrected (Level 1Gst) Data Product-- The USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science, in cooperation with NASA, is pleased to announce the release of a new Systematic Terrain-Corrected (Level 1Gst) data product from the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Hyperion sensor. This new processing option provides increased quality and improved geometric accuracy for the Hyperion data product. The new Hyperion product is available for $500 per scene, and may be searched and ordered through Earth Explorer or the USGS Global Visualization Viewer. For more information, please visit the EO-1 website: http://eo1.usgs.gov/.

EO-1 Update NASA has extended the EO-1 mission through FY07, with the possibility of further extensions. In this mission phase, EO-1 has been transformed into an on-orbit test bed for advanced technology and hyperspectral research; however, individual users can still acquire new scenes or archived scenes through the USGS. More...

The White House has initiated a year-long study called The Future of Land Imaging to explore options for United States operational use of satellites to better serve society. The USGS serves on the leadership team of this Federal interagency working group. For more information visit www.landimaging.gov.

The Landsat Project is pleased to announce that Landsat 5 has returned to full operations--On March 17, 2006, Landsat 5 experienced a problem with its radio transmitter, preventing transmission of science data to ground receiving stations. The team expects reliable operations of data transmission for the foreseeable future. More information...

Call for Nominations for 2006 William T. Pecora Award; Deadline: April 30, 2006--The William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to individuals or groups that have made outstanding contributions toward understanding the Earth by means of remote sensing. The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) jointly sponsor the award. Instructions for preparing a nomination and other information about the award can be found on the Pecora Award Web site.

Interruption of Landsat 5 Acquisitions An unexpected problem has occurred in Landsat 5's ability to transmit data, causing an interruption in acquisitions. Engineers are studying the problem and testing is underway. Updates will be posted as more detailed information becomes available.

22 years and Still Ticking -- Landsat 5 Beats Expectations—The Landsat 5 satellite, launched on March 1, 1984, has completed 22 years of record-setting Earth observations. In an era of "overnight success" and disposable products, there is no better example of dependability, economy, and achievement than the Landsat 5 Earth-observing satellite. Because of the sophisticated equipment on board, engineers anticipated a life of a mere two years, with a goal of three years of collecting data over the landmass of the planet. Instead, Landsat 5 has become the longest continuously serving observation system in the U.S. civilian fleet. The track record for this satellite is nothing short of phenomenal. Learn More...

Science Fair April 4-6, 2006 - The USGS Geography Land Remote Sensing (LRS) Program is hosting a "USGS Remote Sensing Science Fair" on April 04-06, 2006, in the USGS Auditorium, Building 810, Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. The purpose of the conference is to showcase the Remote Sensing research activities within the U.S. Geological Survey. The event will highlight current and potential remote sensing science and activities in both commercial and classified arenas.

Landsat 5 Resumes Operations: USGS and NASA engineers successfully adjusted the solar array enabling data acquisition operations to resume.

Landsat Data Continuity Mission — "The Administration has directed NASA and the USGS to team up on development, launch, and operation of a “free-flyer” Landsat Data Continuity Mission, wherein NASA will procure an on-orbit data acquisition capability and then turn it over to the USGS to operate in order to ingest, archive, process, and distribute Landsat-type data products. By some estimates, such a capability would become operational early in 2011." Landsat Data Continuity Strategy Adjustment Memo

In response to the USGS initiative to make more Landsat data readily available, Orthorectified Landsat data is now available for free download from the USGS. The Orthorectified Landsat data is available from the Global Visualization Viewer( GloVis) at http://glovis.usgs.gov and Earth Explorer at http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov.

Landsat 5 Experiencing Technical Difficulties

DOI and NASA Honor Scientists for Achievements in Remote Sensing

Hazard Response: Remote Sensing data are being used by the Hazard Data Distribution System. Both pre-event and post-event information is available from this site. Users may preview data sets via the interactive map viewer and then download data free-of-charge or submit an order for any of the available data to be delivered on DVD or firewire/usb drives. Visit the Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS)/Hurricane Katrina site.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Workshop will be held June 14-16, 2005, at the USGS in Reston, Virginia. All SRTM data production has been completed, and the data are now being used in numerous applications. To help document the SRTM data quality and characteristics, and to describe applications benefiting from the data, a workshop is being convened for the SRTM data user community.

LRS Science Fair: Remote Sensing Research from around the country will be presented in the USGS Headquarter's Auditorium on April 12-13, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 pm.

President Bush proposes increase in the USGS Landsat 7 Funding for FY 2006. The President's budget calls for increasing the Landsat 7 budget by $12 million so that this important earth-imaging satellite program can continue to provide critical information to scientists, emergency relief officials, land managers and planners.

USGS Scientist Honored by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS)...read more

USGS Director Leads U.S. Delegation to Group on Earth Observations (GEO)-6 Meeting in Brussels ....read more

Landsat 7 Data Enhancements: Development of a major new product enhancement for Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data. Gap-filled product options will not allow the data merged of one or more SLC-off fill scenes for generation of a final gap-free image.

High Spatial Resolution Commercial Imagery Workshop will be held November 8-10, 2004, at the U.S. Geological Survey National Center, Reston, Virginia. NOTE Registration Deadline Extended to Nov. 3, 2004.

RFI Released: In support of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, an RFI was released on Aug. 5, 2004, to solicit innovative approaches to developing and managing a successor system to Landsat 7. For more information visit http://ldcm.usgs.gov.

Price Reduction USGS REDUCES PRICE FOR LANDSAT 7 SCENES WITH GAPS RESULTING FROM THE MAY 2003 ANOMALY

USGS ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCT LINE: A technique to estimate radiometric values in Landsat 7 data gaps has been selected, and the resulting new products will be available to customers in June 2004.

U.S. Digital Landsat Mosaics Educational CD-ROM set of satellite images provides a valuable record of land surface conditions of the U.S. in the early 1990's.

Visit landsat7.usgs.gov/updates.php for information about the Landsat 7 anomaly.

Remote Sensing Policy

The President authorized a new national policy on April 25, 2003, that establishes guidance and implementation actions for commercial remote sensing space capabilities. Visit crsp.usgs.gov for more information.