Landsat Orbit Swath

The instruments on Landsat 8 have linear detector arrays, also called detectors, which collect data across the entire image swath at once. Landsat collects images in long narrow strips called “swaths.” Each swath is 185 kilometers (115 miles) wide and is 2,752 kilometers (1,710 miles) from the next adjacent swath taken that day. It takes 16 days for the swaths to overlap enough to image the whole Earth.Previous Landsat sensors swept back and forth across the swath like a whisk broom to collect data. The sensor looked at a calibration source at the end of every row, which means that measurements were consistent from orbit to orbit. But this sensor design requires fast-moving parts, which are more likely to break.—and which did on Landsat 7.In contrast, the instruments on Landsat 8 view across the entire swath at once, building strips of data like a pushbroom. This approach requires no moving parts and gives the sensor detectors greater dwell time. The pushbroom instrument is smaller and lighter than previous whisk broom instruments, but its calibration is much more complex given the large number of detectors.“It was a natural step to evolve to a pushbroom sensor. The technology was proven on other satellites, and we knew we could get better accuracy. The pushbroom has no moving parts. It is a newer and more reliable technology.” explains Terry Arvidson, senior project engineer.For more information on the future of Landsat instruments, read https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat-9/instruments/. Landsat 7, and previous Landsat satellites, had detectors that swept back-and-forth, like a whisk broom, as they collected data across the image swath.

Explore how the Landsat 8 satellite captures views of our planet, one strip at a time. Find out how the satellite’s views of Earth line up in this video narrated by Landsat 8 project scientist Jim Irons. Burned land (center) can be seen in this image of Yosemite National Park taken by Landsat 8 in September 2013. Russia s Taz River appears partially covered in ice in this Landsat 8 image taken in June 2013. Landsat 8 captured this image of Mount Shasta in January 2014. It took about three dozen orbits for Landsat 8 to generate this composite view of the United States.

On Feb. 11, 2013, Landsat 8 launched into Earth orbit, riding on an Atlas V rocket. Weighing 6,133 pounds, Landsat 8 is the eigth satellite in the long-running Landsat program, jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Until operations were handed over to the USGS, Landsat 8 was formally known as the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM).For complete transcript, click here.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. On Feb. 11, 2013, Landsat 8 launched into Earth orbit, riding on an Atlas V rocket. Weighing 6,133 pounds, Landsat 8 is the eigth satellite in the long-running Landsat program, jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. At 16 feet tall, with a 32 foot long solar array, Landsat 8 orbits Earth at an altitude of 438 miles, moving at a speed of 16,760 miles per hour. It takes 99 minutes to complete one orbit, with about 14.5 orbits each day. There have been 5,319 orbits in the first year of Landsat 8 s land surface at a scale where the impacts of humans and nature can be detected and monitored over time. Every continent, every season, every year, at a resolution that can distinguish an area the size of a baseball field. With help from Landsat we can monitor the cultivation of our food crops, quantify our precious water resources as they ebb and flow, and track deforestation globally. Landsat data constitute a key ingredient in decision making for agriculture, climate research, disaster mitigation, ecosystems, forestry, human health, urban growth, and water management.

The composite animation of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite orbiting the Earth, with the satellite, Earth, stars and day/time overlay.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), also to be named Landsat 8 after its scheduled launch in February 2013, will be the eighth in the series of Landsat satellites. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have been observing and measuring Earth s continental and coastal landscapes at 15 to 30 meter resolution, where human impacts and natural changes can be monitored and characterized over time.This animation portrays how the LDCM satellite will orbit the Earth 13 times per day at an altitude of 705 km collecting landcover data. With a cross-track width of 185 km, the satellite will completely cover the globe in a 16 day period compiling a total of 233 orbits. A day number and the elapsed time are shown to clearly depict the passage of time which starts slowly in the beginning and increases to day-by-day steps at the end of the animation. The terrain is exaggerated by 6 times during the first day portrayed, but is increased to 12 times when the camera pulls out to a global view. An artificial orbit trail is shown following the spacecraft to indicate its position when the satellite itself is too small to be visible. The composite animation with the satellite, Earth and stars. The Earth and satellite layer with transparency. The background star field The day/time overlay with transparency A still image of the LDCM satellite and the ground swath. Frame set designed for a 5x3 hyperwall.