After an outgassing event, the Landsat 5 X-band transmitter prematurely shut off during a data downlink to the USGS Landsat Ground Station in Sioux Falls, SD. Specifically the backup Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA), which is a downlink power amplifier for spacecraft telecommunications, tripped an Over Current Protection circuit. In 1987, a similar anomaly forced engineers to power down the primary transmitter. Landsat 5 data acquisitions are suspended until this problem can be resolved.
International Relations: Landsat on the Agenda
May 22, 2023
Strengthened cooperation between the United States and the Philippines to include bilateral cooperation on the Landsat Program, according to White House fact sheet.
