On this day in 1984, Landsat 5 was launched into orbit. To this day Landsat 5 is still collecting data; the 27 year life span of Landsat 5 is unprecedented.
+ More about Landsat 5

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.