On this date in 1972, Landsat 1 (then known as the Earth Resources Technology Satellite) was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Landsat 1 was in operation until 1978. In the past three and a half decades, Landsat 1 has been succeeded by Landsats 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7… making today the 35th year of continuous Landsat satellite operations.

Influencing Factors: Satellites Help Decipher the Fate of West Antartica
An international team of researchers has combined satellite imagery and climate and ocean records to obtain the most detailed understanding yet of how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – which contains enough ice to raise global sea level by 3.3 metres – is responding to climate change.