New LandSat Satellite Scheduled for Launch
Tags: LandSat, Orbital Sciences, NASA, USGS
Publication: EastValleyTribune.com
Publication Date: 12/14/2012
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Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), or LandSat 8, during Observatory Electromagnetic Interference/Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing at Orbital Science Corporation’s Gilbert, Ariz., location. August, 2012.
Image credit: Orbital Sciences Corporation
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The newest LandSat satellite, LandSat 8, has been scheduled for a February 2013 launch. The spacecraft designed, built and tested by Orbital Sciences Corporation will continue the work of NASA and USGS Earth observation programs, extending a 40-year-old legacy in the country.
The satellite weights slightly more than 6,600 pounds and is approximately 20 feet tall with a 9-foot diameter at its widest point. It has four solar panels that will stretch out 32 feet from the satellite.
Once LandSat 8 is operational in its final orbit, Landsat 5, a 28-year-old spacecraft will be decommissioned and taken out of orbit. Its creators expect LandSat 8 to last between five and 10 years, serving different industries such as emergency response and disaster relief, regional planning, education, agriculture, mapping, geology and forestry.
LandSat 8 will more than double the amount of images produced by its predecessor LandSat 7, and feature two new spectral bands that will allow it to detect clouds on coastal zones
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