Five decades of satellite imagery have transformed our understanding of Earth's changing systems
In short: A review of the Landsat program's fifty-year history found that continuous Earth observation has been vital for scientific progress. By providing decades of multispectral, medium-resolution digital data, the program has enabled researchers to track shifts in agriculture, water use, ecosystems, and the human footprint across the globe.
The review highlights how the transition to free and open data access in 2008 shifted scientific focus from analyzing single images to studying large-scale time series. While the program has faced periods of funding uncertainty, its sustained continuity has provided a template for modern global Earth observation missions.
Why it matters: Decades of consistent, open-access satellite data are essential for tracking long-term changes in our planet's ecosystems and climate.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Wulder et al. (2022). Fifty years of Landsat science and impacts. Remote Sensing of Environment. · cc-by
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