Landsat 9

In Context

• Recently, NASA has launched a satellite called Landsat 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. 

About Landsat 9

• It is an Earth monitoring satellite.
• Landsat-9 is the continuation of a series of Earth-observing spacecraft stretching back almost 50 years.
  • The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972.
• The satellite is referred to as NASA’s’ new eye in the sky’ that will help study climate change.
• It is the most technologically advanced satellite of its generation. It can see more colour shades with greater depths than the previous satellites (Landsat series), helping scientists capture more details about our ever-changing planet.
• The instruments aboard Landsat 9 are the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2). They will measure different wavelengths of light reflected off the Earth’s surface.

Applications

• Landsat images can be helpful to researchers in drought surveillance. 
• During a forest fire, the Landsat images will capture the plumes of smoke and help study the extent of a burning.
• The satellite images can also help recovery experts plan sites for replanting.
• Landsat images can also help identify water bodies affected by potentially harmful algal blooms.

Source:IE