- On this day in 1984, Landsat 5 was launched into orbit. To this day Landsat 5 is still collecting data; the 26 year life span of Landsat 5 is unprecedented.

Above the Earth, Below the Surface: Landsat’s Role in Monitoring Water Quality
Safeguarding freshwater resources is crucial, and while scientists use a variety of ground-based techniques to gauge water quality, the Landsat program has provided water quality data from orbit for decades.