Landsat has been a cornerstone of global land imaging for more than 50 years. Since 1972, consistent and reliable data from Landsat satellites have been used by scientists, policy-makers, and decision-makers to understand and manage Earth’s changing surface.

Boreal Forests Are Shifting North

The boreal forest—the world’s largest terrestrial biome—is warming faster than any other forest type. To understand the changing dynamics of boreal forests, Feng et al., 2026 analyzed the biome from 1985 to 2020, leveraging the longest and highest-resolution satellite record of calibrated tree cover to date. The study, published in February in Biogeosciences with four co-authors from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, confirms a northward shift in boreal forest cover over the past four decades.

• Science-Grade Instrumentation

  Scientific studies rely on science-grade instruments—instruments that record information consistently and accurately. Landsat sensors are carefully calibrated to measure subtle changes on Earth’s surface, allowing scientists to reliably identify short- and long-term trends.
  
  Before those instruments reach orbit, they undergo rigorous testing to measure exactly how they will perform in space. This testing helps scientists ensure that the instruments continue collecting reliable data during the entire operational life of the satellite.
  
  Even with such meticulous preparation, engineers add in another layer of protection: redundancy. Each satellite carries backup systems, such as duplicate detectors, calibration lamps, and electronics, in case the primary equipment fails. This built-in insurance helps minimize gaps in the data, serving the fundamental Landsat mission goal of long-term continuity.

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• Calibration and Validation

  Landsat is considered the “gold standard” of medium-resolution satellite data because of the program’s tradition of rigorous, independently-verified calibration. Careful calibration ensures that Landsat imagery accurately reflects the conditions on the ground and that those measurements are consistent across time and between sensors. That means that when scientists identify a difference between images, they can be confident that it reflects an actual change on the ground rather than a discrepancy in the data. 
  
  Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) teams from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborate on Landsat calibration throughout the entire life of a mission.
  
  Many commercial satellite companies use Landsat’s free, reliable data to calibrate their own data. Landsat’s careful calibration also makes it possible to fuse data from multiple satellite missions, providing data for new innovative data products, comprehensive global monitoring and informed decision making. With decision-makers around the world increasingly relying on satellite information, calibration is essential—better data power better decisions.

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• Spectral Coverage

  Broad spectral coverage—the ability to sense parts of the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the visible and near-infrared (VNIR)—is essential to accurately study Earth’s surface. In addition to VNIR, Landsats 8 and 9 collect data in three shortwave-infrared bands and two thermal-infrared bands. 
  
  These longer wavelength bands play a vital role in measuring evapotranspiration to track water use, detecting fire scars and volcanic lava flows, and calculating spectral indices to monitor vegetation health, soil conditions, and land use. Landsat’s robust spectral coverage enables researchers to study nearly every terrestrial environment on Earth.

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Data Continuity for Earth Observation

Harnessing Machine Learning with Landsat Data

Over the past few years, machine learning techniques have been increasingly used to analyze the vast amount of data collected by the Landsat mission, which has been circling the globe for over 50 years. The data has been used to classify different types of land cover, detect changes to landscapes over time, and map the impact of human activity on the environment.

Over the past 50 years, eight Landsat satellites have circled the planet, which have helped to save and improve lives and support our economy. NASA will continue to work with the USGS to improve access to Landsat's unprecedented 50-year record and build upon the program's legacy.