Landsat 7, NASA's newest Earth-observing satellite, launched without a hitch on April 15, 1999, at 2:32 p.m. EST from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Earth science satellites are designed to study our home planet’s surface and atmosphere, but occasionally they capture views of other objects in low-Earth orbit such as satellites, the International Space Station, and rocket debris.
Being able to see traces of human history in satellite imagery is dependent on what details can be resolved on a given image. There are four main types of image resolution.
Fifty-six images were stitched together to present a seamless mosaic of what the newest Landsat saw on April 19, 2013. Here are some highlights of the satellite tour.
The new Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite captured a glimpse of Vandenberg Air Force Base and the central California coast. Vandenberg has been the launch site for a majority of U.S. Earth science research missions.