- On this day in 1984, Landsat 5 was launched into orbit. Today, after 24 years of service, Landsat 5 is still operational. The original design life of Landsat 5 was just three years, but it has become the longest continuously operating Earth observation system in the U.S. civilian satellite fleet. Landsat 5’s tremendous life span is a tribute to the prodigious engineering behind the satellite.

Bidding Farewell to Virginia T. Norwood, the Mother of Landsat
Virginia T. Norwood, a founding figure in the field of satellite land imaging, died on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at age 96.