Landsat Data Continuity Mission

LDCM Ground System

The LDCM Ground System includes all of the ground-based assets needed to operate the LDCM observatory. The primary components of the Ground System are the Mission Operations Element, Collection Activity Planning Element, Ground Network Element, and the Data Processing and Archive System.

Excerpt: LDCM Ground System

The LDCM ground system will perform two main functions. The first will be to command and control the LDCM observatory in orbit. The second will be to manage the data transmitted from the observatory. The daily software command loads that control the observatory will originate within the LDCM Mission Operations Center (MOC) at GSFC and will be transmitted to the observatory from the antenna of the LDCM Ground Network Element (GNE). The data transmitted by the observatory will be received by the GNE and then sent to the Data Processing and Archive System (DPAS) at EROS. The DPAS will archive the data and produce the LDCM data products distributed for science and applications. USGS manages ground system development and USGS successfully conducted a Ground System critical design review in March 2010.

Excerpted from Remote Sensing of Environment 122, James R. Irons, John L. Dwyer, and Julia A. Barsi , The next Landsat satellite: The Landsat Data Continuity Mission, 11-21, Copyright 2012, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2011.08.026, with permission from Elsevier

Courtesy of the journal Remote Sensing of the Environment

+ LDCM Mission Operations Center (MOC)
+ LDCM Data Processing and Archive System (DPAS)

USGS Landsat

The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Since 1972, Landsat satellites have collected information about Earth from space. This science, known as remote sensing, has matured with the Landsat Program.

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Landsat Science

For nearly 40 years, the Landsat program has collected spectral information from Earth's surface, creating a historical archive unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, and length.

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Landsat Education

By virtue of its long history, Landsat's education and outreach program has spawned many educational resources. The effort continues with what will be the newest in this series of satellites, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). To enable educators seamless access to all of these resources, Landsat and LDCM education are united into one program.

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