Landsat 9: Earth Observation from 705 km
Landsat 9 is the latest satellite in the Landsat programme, a joint initiative between NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Launched on 27 September 2021 aboard an Atlas V rocket, Landsat 9 continues the mission of providing high-quality, medium-resolution imagery of the Earth's surf
What is Landsat 9?
Landsat 9 is the latest satellite in the Landsat programme, a joint initiative between NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Launched on 27 September 2021 aboard an Atlas V rocket, Landsat 9 continues the mission of providing high-quality, medium-resolution imagery of the Earth's surface. It is designed to capture data that supports a wide range of applications, including agriculture, forestry, land-use planning, and disaster management. The satellite carries two main instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2), which together cover nine spectral bands.
Mission and Purpose
The primary mission of Landsat 9 is to observe and monitor the Earth's landmasses, providing critical data for understanding environmental changes. This data is invaluable for scientists and policymakers who study climate change, deforestation, urban expansion, and natural disasters. Landsat 9's imagery helps track the health of ecosystems, manage natural resources, and monitor agricultural productivity. The satellite's continuity of data is crucial for maintaining the long-term record of Earth's surface changes that began with the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972.
Orbital Characteristics
Landsat 9 orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately 705 kilometres, following a near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit. This orbit allows the satellite to pass over the same location on Earth every 16 days, ensuring consistent and comparable data collection over time. The satellite's inclination is approximately 98.2 degrees, which enables it to cover nearly all of the Earth's surface. Landsat 9 is catalogued under NORAD ID 49260. Its orbital period is about 98.9 minutes, allowing for regular revisits to monitored areas.
Significance and Legacy
Landsat 9 builds on the legacy of the Landsat programme, which has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the Earth. The programme's continuous data record is one of the longest-running satellite-based Earth observation efforts. Landsat imagery has been used in over 18,000 scientific publications, highlighting its importance in environmental research. The data provided by Landsat satellites has been crucial for tracking deforestation in the Amazon, monitoring the melting of glaciers, and assessing the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires.
Current Status
As of 2026, Landsat 9 continues to operate successfully, providing high-quality data to users worldwide. The satellite's instruments are functioning as expected, and it remains a vital tool for Earth observation. Landsat 9's data is freely available to the public, supporting a wide range of scientific and practical applications. Users can track visible passes of Landsat 9 using the Orbital Radar pass predictor, ensuring they can plan observations and data collection effectively.
