Latest in Landsat June 2025 - Vol. 4 | Issue 5
Last Call for Landsat 7
Final command sent June 4, 2025
Landsat 7 launched with the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor in 1999, advancing remote sensing capabilities and expanding the mission’s reach. It enabled scientists to observe land change with greater clarity and consistency. Over its lifetime, Landsat 7 became a cornerstone of the USGS/NASA effort to monitor Earth’s land surfaces, surface waters, and coastlines—delivering trusted data to support science and stewardship.
For 25 years, Landsat 7 fueled science through continuous data collection. In early 2024, it acquired its final science data. Now, as the satellite rounds out the 26th year of its mission, we celebrate its enduring legacy. The data it contributed will remain a vital part of the Landsat archive, continuing to support land resource management and scientific discovery for years to come.
Read the June 4 News release: A Final Farewell to Landsat 7
Landsat at Work - Every Day, Every Way
Whether in a geospatial lab, or out in the field, Landsat data are used to help measure agricultural crop heath and mineral development areas. It helps monitor forest cover, inland waterways, and urban growth, to name a few of the many ways that Landsat shows up for humans every day.
This month, we've added new stories that showcase how Landsat is a key component to reducing the number of wildfires across the country and how it helps conserve precious water resources for croplands and vineyards in the West.
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Landsat at Work: Conserving Water and Growing High Quality Grapes Landsat at Work: Conserving Water and Growing High Quality Grapes
Using Landsat’s thermal imagery, researchers at Gallo Winery have been able to better understand vineyard water needs, optimize irrigation and support long-term sustainability across thousands of acres. This work also helped shape broader tools now supporting water management across the western United States.
Landsat at Work: Satellites Help Extinguish Wildfire Risk Landsat at Work: Satellites Help Extinguish Wildfire Risk
“How much money did that save our community by making these investments?” said Keith Brooks, general manager of the Douglas Electric Cooperative. “It’s hard to quantify the fire that never happens.”
Landsat at Work: Satellites Help with Complex Crop and Water Issues Landsat at Work: Satellites Help with Complex Crop and Water Issues
Groundwater is a crucial source of water for California, especially for its $59 billion agriculture industry. But even when the water is underground, Landsat satellites that observe the Earth’s land surface can still help growers monitor it.
Landsat at Work: A Path to Better Wireless Communication Landsat at Work: A Path to Better Wireless Communication
Landsat’s mission isn’t communications, but its data is helping shape the networks we rely on every day. Imagine the task of designing clear paths for a wireless communication system, large or small. It could be permanent with towers and antennas, or it could be temporary with a mobile command unit and handheld receivers.
What it means to be the "Gold Standard" of Satellites and How to Maintain It
Precise geometric and radiometric measurements are vital to the success of the Landsat Mission. The Landsat Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Team carries that responsibility. The team must ensure the satellites remains in their correct orbit and that onboard sensors capture scientifically accurate imagery of the Earth's surfaces. The Landsat Cal/Val Team monitors the data Landsat downlinks from each satellite, each day.
Learn what it takes to maintain Landsat's "gold standard" capability in this recent episode of the Eyes on Earth podcast listed below.
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Eyes on Earth Episode 134 – Data Accuracy: The Calibration and Validation of Landsat
Researchers and other satellite programs rely on the scientifically correct data from Landsat—every pixel and every spectral band that is measured.
Landsat geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) focuses on improving the accuracy, precision, calibration, and product quality of remote-sensing data, leveraging years of multiscale optical system geometric and radiometric calibration and characterization experience. The ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val team continual
Landsat Calibration and Validation
The USGS ECCOE Landsat Cal/Val Team, along with their NASA counterparts, maintains primary responsibility for radiometric and geometric characterization and the calibration and validation of the Landsat instruments and spacecrafts. This work includes both the ongoing operations of active Landsat missions, as well as the retired Landsat missions.
Keeping Satellite Data Accurate and Consistent
The EROS Calibration/Validation (Cal/Val) Center of Excellence (ECCOE) compares Landsat and other remotely sensed data to known reference points on the ground to ensure consistency - a process called calibration and validation. The accuracy of ECCOE's Calibration gives other civil and commercial satellite programs around the globe a trusted "gold standard" reference point. This poster was…
Landsat Collection 1 Legacy Sample Products Available
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Landsat Collections Legacy Samples Landsat Collections Legacy Samples
Landsat Collections Legacy Samples preserve a selection of data from previous Landsat Collections. These samples provide essential benchmarks for researchers, ensuring historical data remains available for comparison and can be used to evaluate quality improvements across collections. Sample products for Landsat Collection 1 (2016-2021) are available.
Highlights from Landsat Social Media Networks
Below we display just a few of the items we promoted on the Landsat social media channels in May. Don't forget to follow us on the following social networks to get notified right away!
Animation of Landsat images of ships in U.S. harbors
By layering over 10 years of cloud-free Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 images, we can see the bright trails of ship traffic in major U.S. ports and harbors. Check out these striking patterns from popular shipping waterways, captured using Landsat’s panchromatic band. Just another example of how Landsat helps us understand the world from above.
Great Lakes Shipping Season Begins (Image of the Week)
The St. Marys River between Michigan and Ontario is typically frozen January through March. The US Army Corp of Engineers performs maintenance on regulated access channels (the Soo Locks) during the coldest months.The Soo Locks enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. The 2025 shipping season opened March 21st with the help of US Coast Guard ice-breaking ships…
Animation of Landsat images showing fires burning in Saskatchewan, Canada
In late May 2025, Landsat satellites captured imagery of active fires in north-central Saskatchewan, Canada. The fires have caused evacuation orders and closed highways. While the natural color image shows the massive smoke covering the land, false color images allow us to see through the smoke and see the areas of active burning more clearly. Future Landsat collects will be beneficial in showing…
Do you have questions about Landsat? Check these out!
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Landsat Frequently Asked Questions Landsat Frequently Asked Questions
This pages lists commonly asked questions pertaining to the Landsat satellite missions, the science behind maintaining high quality Landsat data, and what products are available - and how to get them.
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Access the information on this page to learn more about Landsat, access our social media platforms, or contact us with questions you have about the Landsat missions, the available science products, and how to access Landsat data!
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The Landsat Program is a joint effort of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This partnership creates the unprecedented, continuous record of changes to the Earth's surface worldwide.