How Early Astronaut Photographs Inspired the Landsat Program
In the 1960s, NASA was pioneering a new era of human spaceflight—and astronaut photography—that would change Earth observation forever.
At Land’s Edge – Tracking Coastal Ecosystem with Landsat
Discover how Landsat’s 50-year record of Earth helps scientists track the health of coastal ecosystems while providing tools to monitor water quality and reveal changes at the edge of land and sea.
Landsat at Work: Preparing Residents Where Hurricanes Threaten
Landsat-based National Land Cover Database (NLCD) helps predict hurricane wind risk to homes and other structures.
Mapping Reservoirs for Better Water Management
Using data from Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS), researchers developed a new algorithm to better monitor reservoir water levels in the contiguous U.S.
Annual NLCD’s Insights Rely on Long Landsat Record
The Landsat satellite program, with its unparalleled 53-year historic record, can reveal changes through the Annual National Land Cover Database (NLCD).
A New and Improved Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 Dataset
In July, 2025, a team of researchers unveiled the Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) version 2.0 surface reflectance dataset and algorithms.
Deforestation in Paraguay’s Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco—South America’s second largest forest—is disappearing. Watch decades of forest change, as captured by Landsat satellites.
Remote Sensing Symbiosis: How Government and Commercial Sectors Work Together
As an avid Landsat user and an expert in commercial satellite data, Dr. Francois Smith spoke to how the private and public remote sensing sectors work together.
Celebrating 53 Years Since Landsat 1’s Launch
When the first Landsat satellite launched in 1972, it posed the following question: could we manage our natural resources using remotely–sensed data? The answer, 53 years on, is a resounding “yes.”
One Million Reasons to Celebrate Landsat 9
The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center archive has more than one million Landsat 9 Level-1 products (that’s over 1 billion megabytes of data)!
A Planet in Focus – Landsat 7’s Legacy
Celebrating the 25-year mission of Landsat 7, a NASA/USGS satellite that revolutionized Earth observation with high-resolution imagery used in agriculture, disaster response, climate research, and more.
Shifting Coastlines in the Arctic
The Arctic is changing rapidly. Recent research unveiled a new dataset of 40 years of coastlines shifting across the Arctic.
A Final Farewell to Landsat 7
The Landsat 7 satellite launched in April 1999 and will be decommissioned after 26 years in orbit. Its science mission, focused on collecting imagery data of Earth’s land and inland waters, spanned 25 years.
Undamming the Klamath
Between October 2023 and October 2024, the four dams of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project were taken down, opening more than 400 miles of salmon habitat.
Saudi Arabia’s Desert Agriculture
In this animation of 2024 and January 2025, crop fields in Saudi Arabia cycle through their growing seasons.
Landsat at Work: Conserving Water and Growing High Quality Grapes
Using Landsat’s thermal imagery, researchers at Gallo Winery have been able to better understand vineyard water needs and optimize irrigation.
Forty Years of Change in Louisiana’s Wetlands
Landsat images show that in the past 40 years alone, Louisiana’s coastal wetlands have undergone substantial changes.
Hispaniola’s Changing Forests
Haiti lost nearly half of its primary forests between 1996 and 2022, with fires and tree-cutting being major drivers of loss, according to a new study.
NASA Celebrates Earth Day with Your Name in Landsat
On April, 22, 2025, NASA celebrated Earth Day as only NASA can: with beautiful Landsat imagery of our home planet.
Data Wrangling with Dana Ostrenga
Data interoperability expert Dana Ostrenga explains how government and commercial Earth observation satellites provide broader support to the scientific community when used together.
Mapping Forest Damage from Hurricane Milton on Florida’s West Coast
Rising sea levels and increased ocean temperatures are supercharging hurricanes. Using satellite data can help monitor vulnerable ecosystems.
Connecting Farmers with NASA Data at Commodity Classic
The most common question at the NASA booth at Commodity Classic was, “What does NASA do for agriculture?” The answer was perhaps best summed up by Karen St. Germain, Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, in a Hyperwall talk delivered at the convention. St. Germain laid out how NASA data could strengthen food security, improve agricultural resilience, and help farmers do what they do best: farm.
Landsat at South by Southwest 2025
On March 6-9, over 22,000 explored the Austin Public Library for the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW). At the NASA booth, they explored the power of Landsat.
Data as Good as it Gets: A Discussion with Brian Markham
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."
Beyond the Visible: Landsat Next’s New Spectral Bands
With Landsat Next's 26 new spectral bands, we'll be able to see our planet like never before. Landsat Next’s enhanced capabilities will provide scientists, farmers, and decision-makers with critical data to tackle global challenges.
FARMing with Data: OpenET Launches new Tool for Farmers and Ranchers
A NASA and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)-supported research and development team, OpenET, is making it easier for farmers and ranchers to manage their water resources with the FARMS tool.
NASA Study Finds Potential Carbon Sink in Boreal Forest Growth
New research led by Landsat 8/9 Project Scientist Chris Neigh used Landsat and ICESat-2 data to investigate how boreal forests growth could sequester carbon.
Spotting Disruptions to Earth’s Vegetation
Using NASA data, researchers can track vegetation changes around the planet, not just in forests but also in grasslands and savannas like the Brazilian Cerrado.
NASA Open Data Turns Science Into Art
Numerous artists have incorporated NASA science data into their work, further engaging the public in science discovery.
Landsat and Earth Science Education: Mapping NASA Earth Data to Next Generation Science Standards
NASA’s Science Activation team has created a graphic to help K-12 teachers find out which NASA Earth Science missions can provide real-world data most relevant to their Next Generation Science-based lessons.
Mapping Grasslands: An Underappreciated Ecosystem
Grasslands tend to get left out of conservation discussion. New research from the World Resources Institute maps how they've changed over the past 20 years.
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