Landsat 9 Overview

Landsat 9 is the latest satellite in the Landsat series—it will continue Landsat’s irreplaceable record of Earth’s land surface upon its September 2021 launch. To reduce the build time and a risk of a gap in observations, Landsat 9 largely replicates its predecessor Landsat 8.

Landsat 9 carries two science instruments

Both instruments have sensors with moderate spatial resolution—15 m (49 ft), 30 m (98 ft), and 100 m (328 ft) depending on spectral band—and the ability to detect a higher range in intensity than Landsat 8 (14-bit radiometric resolution vs. Landsat 8's 12-bit radiometric resolution). Landsat 9 will be placed in an orbit that it is eight days out of phase with Landsat 8 to increase temporal coverage of observations.

Landsat 9 is Essential for Informed Land Use Decisions

Landsat 9 will extend our ability to measure changes on the global land surface at a scale where we can separate human and natural causes of change. When land use and resource availability issues arise, Landsat 9 will help decision makers make informed management decisions.

Landsat 9 will thus contribute a critical component to the international strategy for monitoring the health and state of the Earth. Landsat users can now take advantage of more frequent observations (every 8 days using two satellites).

Applications such as weekly tropical deforestation alerts, water quality monitoring, and crop condition reports are now feasible with the constellation. With increased activity in international and commercial remote sensing, Landsat has emerged as a cornerstone of the global constellation of imagers.

The science quality of the Landsat archive, including careful calibration, allows it to serve as a “gold standard” for studies harmonizing multiple sources of satellite imagery.

Landsat Science. 2021. Landsat 9 Overview. [online] Available at: <https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat-9/landsat-9-overview> [Accessed 11 October 2021].