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and ignition

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and lift-off!

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In February of 2013,

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NASA launched the 8th satellite in the Landsat program,

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continuing an unbroken string of Earth observations

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stretching back to 1972.

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Since launch, mission operations

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have been handled by the U.S. Geological Survey.

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After five years in orbit,

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Landsat 8 has more than met its mission to collect global data,

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giving scientists the ability to assess changes in Earth’s landscape.

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Each Landsat satellite has been an improvement

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on the previous generation.

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Landsat 8’s new design allowed more sensitive measurements,

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detected more wavelengths,

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and collected more data than ever before.

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More observations give scientists more opportunities

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to monitor forests around the globe

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and track blooms of algae to assess water quality.

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For the first time,

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Landsat 8 can measure a specific frequency

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to detect cirrus clouds

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thin, wispy clouds, high in the atmosphere

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that can interfere with scientific measurements

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enabling scientists to improve the accuracy of their data.

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More sensitive detectors can distinguish

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subtle changes in vegetation health.

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Landsat 8 data is being used

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to measure agricultural productivity

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and the condition of forests at home and around the globe.

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Improved sensitivty in thermal infrared wavelengths

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allowed the detection of an ice island

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calving off the Larsen C ice shelf

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in Antarctica during the otherwise sunless polar winter.

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By collecting more data,

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and higher-quality data,

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Landsat 8 enables scientists

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to track the velocity of glaciers

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as they speed up and slow down through the year,

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providing insights into what is driving changes in the cryosphere.

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Engineered with a design life of five years,

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Landsat 8 is still going strong,

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maintaining the tradition of long operational lifetimes.

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And engineers are already building the next satellite

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in the Landsat program,

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to continue adding more data to the Landsat archive,

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available for all to use at no cost.

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