Despite Past Failures, NASA Again Pursuing Landsat Alternative

摘要

In a move that has longtime Landsat watchers wondering whether history is about to repeat itself, NASA is once again considering cheaper ways to maintain the program's decade-spanning record of medium-resolution Earth observations. NASA launched the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), the eighth in a line of Earth observation satellites dating back to 1972, in February. Landsat satellites are built by NASA but operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which is responsible for processing and distributing Landsat data to a wide vari-ety of end users. The latest Landsat is set to be turned over to USGS May 1.