Gearing Up for Landsat 9 Launch Week

September 23, 2021

Gearing Up for Landsat 9 Launch Week

September 23, 2021

***Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021***

Landsat mural in Lompoc — The Landsat wall mural on the corner of Ocean and I Street, in Lompoc, California. Photo credit: G. Scott Miller, Ojai, California

Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, California.

Starting on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, a number of local Landsat-focused events will be taking place. From geocaching to family fun nights, from science cafe talks to women in STEM socials, there’s something for you to do during launch week.

Event details can be found below and on the Explore Lompoc website.

Not going to launch?

Participate virtually! Join NASA’s virtual guest program for launch. You’ll get mission updates and Landsat 9 information directly to your inbox.

	This event is not* changing. Kickoff event going as originally planned.* When: Sunday Sept. 19 8am–10am Where: Dick Dewees Community Center 1201 N. H Street Lompoc, CA	Landsat in Lompoc GeoTour Celebrate Landsat’s 50th Anniversary for the first GeoTour in Southern California! Come join us at the Lompoc Senior Community Center as we kick off the GeoTour. Registration is free. The first 500 people to find all nine geocaches and turn in their passports will earn a unique geocoin for their efforts. Turn in passports at the Hilton Garden Inn between 3:30-4:30pm. Even if you don’t catch the opening day events, the GeoTour will be ongoing in Lompoc through Landsat’s 50th anniversary in July 2022!
	When: Thursday-Thursday, Sept. 23-30 10am – 5pmWhere: Lompoc Library 501 E. North Ave Lompoc, CA	Earth As Art Exhibit in the Grossman Gallery While satellite images have substantial scientific value, many also display views as beautiful as artwork! River deltas, mountains, irrigated farm fields, sand, ice, and even salt can create stunning scenes. In this USGS created, Earth As Art 6 collection, our images rely on the interplay of visible and invisible light across the electromagnetic spectrum made possible by Landsat’s satellite sensors.
	When: Saturday, Sept. 25 7pm–9pm (Dinner @ 5pm)Where: Downtown Lompoc	Landsat Trivia Night (by invitation only) The NASA Landsat science outreach team is hosting an evening of Landsat-related trivia. Venue opens at 5pm for those interested in dinner. Trivia starts at 7pm. Invitation only – open to NASA, USGS, industry partners, and those involved with the Landsat program. RSVP required.
	When: Sunday, Sept. 26 12pm-1:30pmWhere: Lompoc Aquatic Center	Family Fun Day at Lompoc’s Aquatic Center Join us for a family-friendly event at Lompoc’s state-of-the-art Aquatic Center. Engage in fun ICESat-2 & Landsat-themed activities and enjoy playing in one of the largest indoor water parks in California!
	When: Sunday, Sept. 26 2pmWhere: Ocean & I Street Lompoc, CA	Landsat Week Proclamation & Wall Mural Ceremony Join us for the Landsat Wall Mural Ceremony, to be held at the mural on the corner of Ocean and I Street. The new wall mural celebrates Landsat 9 and the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the NASA & USGS Landsat program. Hear from the artist, Ann Thompson Lompoc Mural Society’s curator, and representatives from NASA, USGS, and industry partners who helped sponsor the mural. This event concludes with a reading of the Landsat Week Proclamation and ribbon cutting.
	When: Sunday, Sept. 26 5pm–8pmWhere: Montemar Wines 1501 E. Chestnut Ct. Lompoc, CA	Landsat Science Talks Landsat for Climate Action followed by Raising a Glass in Wine Country to Better Water Management Come meet Earth observation climate scientists and learn more about how to use Landsat for: climate change mitigation and adaptation, carbon emissions accounting, and meeting international targets of reducing global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Landsat has a crucial role in monitoring land change by providing an eye from space that helps us identify drivers of deforestation and forest degradation – two activities that greatly contribute to carbon emissions globally. We will showcase scientists that have developed tools and applications that are used to globally monitor carbon emissions. Join us in a friendly atmosphere with good wine and fun people.Then, starting at 7pm: Landsat imagery is helping California wine grape growers to manage vineyard irrigation, with the dual goals of reducing water use while improving grape quality. Participants in the Grape Remote sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration eXperiment (GRAPEX) will talk about how Landsat thermal and surface reflectance data are transformed into actionable information guiding precision irrigation down to the 30-m scale of each the Landsat pixel.Covid restrictions limits this event to 75 people (i.e. only first 75 participants to arrive can be admitted). Door open at 5pmEvent sponsored by KBR and Montemar Wines.
	When: Monday, Sept. 27 9am–12pmWhere: Lompoc Airport 1801 North H St. Lompoc, CA	Landsat 9 Launch Viewing and Public Exhibits< /b> The official launch viewing site will be at the Lompoc Airport where guests can engage with interactive Landsat activities such as learning about sensors, color filters, spectral matching and more. There will be a Landsat sticker mosaic, demonstrations on how Landsat sees in the dark, models, touchscreen videos and games, and more. Connect with representatives from NASA, USGS, and industry partners involved in building Landsat 9, participate with interactive exhibits, and have fun! For more tips on launch day and additional places to see the launch, check out the Explore Lompoc official viewing guide.
	When: Monday, Sept. 27 2pm–3:30pmWhere: Montemar Wines 1501 E. Chestnut Ct. Lompoc, CA	Ladies of Landsat: Power of the Pixel from 1972 to 2021 Come meet and learn more about the Ladies of Landsat – scientists, entrepreneurs, leaders, mothers, authors, and Landsat fans. We’ll share highlights on how anyone can be an active ally and support all underrepresented groups in remote sensing. The USGS/NASA Landsat program helps break down barriers to entry for many Ladies of Landsat who were previously excluded from the field of remote sensing. In our conversation, Ladies of Landsat demonstrate the power of the pixel and Landsat’s diverse applications in their work and how Landsat makes their work possible. Did you know Ladies of Landsat have been a part of the Landsat program since inception? We will have an informal conversation with Virginia Norwood,“The Mother of Landsat”, about how the scene has changed over five decades. Covid restrictions limits this event to 75 people (i.e. only first 75 participants to arrive can be admitted)
	When: Monday, Sept. 27 3pm-4pmWhere: Lompoc Library 501 E. North Ave Lompoc, CA	Landsat Collage Workshop Landsat images have provided some of the most beautiful and unique views of our planet. From folded red mountain ridges, yellow dunes dotted with brilliant pools of blue water, and swirling clouds of blue-green phytoplankton, these images reveal a hidden world of color, textures, patterns, and movement. Explore how to create stunning collages with Landsat images.