The 40-year marathon of watching our planet from above

Space · Published 14 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: How do we measure a changing world over decades? It requires more than just snapshots; it demands an unbroken chain of data. NASA is currently deploying new satellites to ensure that the record of Earth's landscapes, oceans, and atmosphere remains continuous, accurate, and uninterrupted for the next generation.

Maintaining long-term environmental records is a logistical feat of orbital mechanics and engineering. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) was launched on February 11 to preserve a 40-year continuous data record of Earth's landscapes. This mission, a collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, is designed to expand upon that history by providing observations that help manage critical resources like agriculture, water, and forests.

While land records are vital, monitoring the oceans provides a different but equally essential perspective on climate change. The Sentinel-6B satellite was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to extend NASA's sea level measurements into its fourth decade. By providing an accurate picture of global and local sea surface heights, this international mission helps improve coastal planning and protects critical infrastructure.

Simultaneously, the GOES-T satellite (to be renamed GOES-18) provides a different type of continuity: real-time monitoring of hazardous weather. Positioned in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above Earth over the U.S. West Coast and Pacific Ocean, it offers an upstream view of weather systems moving east. Beyond forecasting, these satellites also track space weather that can interfere with GPS, radio communications, and satellite electronics, creating a multi-layered defense for our technological infrastructure.

These missions highlight a strategic shift toward inter-agency cooperation. By combining NASA's science capabilities with NOAA's operational needs, the data produced serves dual purposes: providing immediate safety information for the public while feeding long-term models used by researchers to understand climate and environmental shifts.

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