Special Topics: LDCM and LDCM Components
The Cryocooler is like a big refrigerator, except that it cools to cryogenic temperatures (below −150°C, −238°F or 123K). It is responsible for cooling our detectors to 43K (-382F). This is very cold and the temperature at which we must maintain our detectors in order to get optimal thermal data. It was built by Ball Aerospace in Boulder, CO and will be the first of its kind to fly. It is a very complicated mechanical system that uses a compressor and displacer to provide its cooling.
Data as Good as it Gets: A Discussion with Brian Markham
March 20, 2025
Why do we calibrate Landsat data? We spoke with Brian Markham, a key figure of Landsat calibration science for four decades. He said that it all comes down to this: “If we’re using a system to quantify changes on the Earth, we must make sure the system we’re using is not changing.”
