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LDCM Spacecraft

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is the future of Landsat satellites. It will continue to obtain valuable data and imagery to be used in agriculture, education, business, science, and government.

The Landsat Program provides repetitive acquisition of high resolution multispectral data of the Earth's surface on a global basis. The data from the Landsat spacecraft constitute the longest record of the Earth's continental surfaces as seen from space. It is a record unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, and value.

In the News

LDCM Thermal Instrument Completes Pre-Ship Testing

TIRS team moving the instrument 01.19.12 – LDCM's thermal instrument (TIRS) completed the last of its functional testing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center yesterday.
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NASA and USGS Announce Media Briefing: How Will We Sustain a More Populated Planet?

11.16.11 – Observing our world by remote sensing satellites enables scientists around the world to detect the most critical trends in natural resource conditions at local to global scales.
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Landsat's TIRS Instrument Comes Out of First Round of Thermal Vacuum Testing

LDCM spacecraft mock-up

11.01.11 –The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) that will fly on the next Landsat satellite came out of its first round of thermal vacuum testing Tuesday, October 4 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Operational Land Imager (OLI) Integration

LDCM spacecraft mock-up

10.18.11 –Engineers at Orbital Sciences Corporation, Gilbert, AZ mechanically integrated the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onto the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) spacecraft.
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Critical Milestone Reached for 2012 Landsat Mission

LDCM spacecraft mock-up

08.09.11 –The Operational Land Imager (OLI), built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo., has been approved by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for shipment to Orbital Sciences Corporation, Gilbert, Ariz. for integration onto the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) spacecraft.
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Operational Land Imager (OLI) Integration Featured Image:
Operational Land Imager (OLI) Integration


    Mission Status

    Launch Date: No earlier than January 15, 2013
    Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base
    Launch Vehicle: Atlas 5
    Design Life: 5 years

    Related Sites

    USGS Landsat

    USGS LDCM website
    The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected information about Earth from space. This science, known as remote sensing, has matured with the Landsat Program.

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    Landsat Science

    Landsat Science website
    For nearly 40 years, the Landsat program has collected spectral information from Earth's surface, creating a historical archive unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, and length.

    + Visit the site

    Landsat Education

    Landsat Education website
    By virtue of its long history, Landsat's education and outreach program has spawned many educational resources. The effort continues with what will be the newest in this series of satellites, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). To enable educators seamless access to all of these resources, Landsat and LDCM education are united into one program.

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    Connect with Landsat

    Follow Mission on Facebook Landsat on Facebook

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    Related Links

    + Landsat 7 Handbook
    + Landsat History
    + LEDAPS
    + LIMA