INTRODUCTION TO

LANDSAT SATELLITE
 INTRODUCTION

Any of various satellite used to gather data for images of the Earth’s land
surface and coastal regions. These satellites are equipped with sensors that
respond to earth-reflected sunlight and infrared radiation.
The Landsat program is the longest-running enterprise for acquisition of
imagery of the earth from space.
On July 23, 1972, the launch of ERTS 1 (Earth Resources technology
satellite, later renamed Landsat 1) started the era of a series of satellites that
have since continuously acquired space-based land remote sensing data.
The instruments on the Landsat satellites have acquired millions of images.
 Landsat series of satellite that orbit more than 100 miles above the
Earth’s surface. Picks up the data as it orbits the Earth.
 Landsat was the 1st satellite to be designed specifically for observing
the Earth’s surface.
 Landsat 1,2 and 3 carried a multispectral scanner(MSS) system which
records reflected Energy from the Earth’s surface or atmosphere across
four wave bands; three visible channels and one near infrared.
 Landsat has a spatial resolution of 30 meters and temporal resolution
of 16 days.
 The images, archived in the United States and at Landsat receiving
stations around the world, are a unique resource for global change
research and applications in agriculture, cartography, geology,
forestry, regional planning, surveillance and education.
 Landsat instruments are designed to detect visible and infrared wavelengths.
 To understand more about how Landsat sensors work, it helps to remember
that – As sunlight strikes Earth’s surface, some of it is absorbed, and some
of it is reflected back into space.
 Satellite chronology

Instrument Altitude launched Terminated Duration Sensors Inclination

(in km) (yy/mm/dd)
Landsat 1 920 July 23, January 6, 2 /11/15  RBV, MSS 99,2°
1972 1978
Landsat 2 920 January 22, February 25, 2/10/17  RBV, MSS 99,2°
1975 1982
Landsat 3 920 March 5, March 31, 5/00/26 RBV, MSS 99,2°
1978 1983
Landsat 4 705 July 16, December 14, 11/04/28 MSS, TM 98,2°
1982 1993
Landsat 5 705 March 1, June 5, 2013 29/03/04 MSS, TM 98,2°
1984
Landsat 6 ----- October 5, Lost on ----- ----- -----
1993 launched
Landsat 7 705 April 15, Still active 17/04/05 ETM+ 98,2°
1999
Landsat 8 705 February 11, Still active 03/06/09 OLI,TIRS 99
2013
7 different types of sensors used in Landsat satellites

 Return Beam Vidicon (RBV)

 Multispectral Scanner (MSS)
 Thematic Mapper (TM)
 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM)
 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+)
 Operational Land Imager (OLI)
 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS)
Sensor Spectral Spatial Temporal Spatial
Resolution Resolution Resolution coverage (km)
(μm) (meter) (revisit in days)

RBV 0.48 to 0.57 40 x 40 185x 185

0.58 to 0.68
0.70 to 0.83

MSS 0.5-0.6 (green) 79 x 79 18 185 x 185

0.6-0.7 (red)
0.7-0.8 (NIR)
0.8-1.1 (NIR)

TM 1. 0.45-0.52 (B) 30 x 30 16 185 x 185

2. 0.52-0.60 (G) 120 x 120 (TIR)
3. 0.63-0.69 (R)
4. 0.76-0.90 (NIR)
5. 1.55-1.75 (MIR)
6. 2.08-2.35 (MIR)
7. 10.4-12.5 (TIR)

ETM

ETM+ 1. 0.45-0.52 30 x 30 16 185 x 185 183 x 170 185 x

2. 0.53-0.61 60 x 60 (TIR) 185
3. 0.63-0.69
4. 0.78-0.90
5. 1.55-1.75
6. 2.09-2.35
7. 10.4-12.5
OLI and TIRS sensors

 The OLI collects data in nine shortwave bands-eight spectral bands at

30-meter resolution and one panchromatic band at 15 meters. Refined
heritage bands and the addition of a new coastal/aerosol band, as well as
a new cirrus band, creates data products with improved radiometric
performance. OLI data products have a 16-bit range. A new quality
assurance band provides information on the presence of features such as
clouds and terrain occlusion.
 The TIRS captures data in two long wave thermal bands with 100-meter
resolution, and is registered to and delivered with the OLI data as a
single product. TIRS data products have a 30-meter resolution and a 16-
bit range.
APPLICATIONS
 Middle and small scale mapping
 Forest monitoring
 Mapping volcanic surface deposits
 Monitoring of natural disasters (floods, fires, slides) e.t.c.
References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsat_program (31/10/2019, 7:20pm)

https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat-data-continuity-mission/ (31/10/2019, 7:30pm)

tp://landsat.usgs.gov/L8_band_combos.php