The Landsat program started capturing its first images after it flew into space on July 23, 1972. From that point until today, it has been acquired 40 years of satellite photos that have influenced humans all over the world for the good.
On Monday, NASA commemorated the Landat's 40th anniversary by providing a list of the 10 most captivating stories the Landsat was able to capture in its system.
The list includes tracking the rates of deforestation of hundreds of thousands of acres of tropical forests in Brazil, to the gradual melting of the Columbia glacier, to the aftermath of the 1980 volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helen, to the devastating Kuwait Oil fires that were ignited by Iraqi troops as they withdrew from Kuwait in 1991 and more.
The benefits Landsat brought to the table are manifold, positively influencing various human endeavors such as human and environmental health, urban planning, mapping, agriculture etc.
According to a release issued by NASA, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, "Landsat has given us a critical perspective on our planet over the long term and will continue to help us understand the big picture of Earth and its changes from space. With this view we are better prepared to take action on the ground and be better stewards of our home."
Also, interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar on the other hand said, "Over four decades, data from the Landsat series of satellites have become a vital reference worldwide for advancing our understanding of the science of the land. The 40-year Landsat archive forms an indelible and objective register of America's natural heritage and thus it has become part of this department's legacy to the American people."
The celebratory remarks were also followed by Google who on the other hand posted a video of its own to commemorate the ocassion. The video is provided below together with some of the 10 most captivating stories selected by NASA.
Kuwait Oil Fires, 1991
As Iraqi troops withdrew from Kuwait at the end of the first Gulf War, they set fire to over 650 oil wells and damaged many more, just south of the Iraq border (yellow line). These Landsat images show before, during and after the release of 1.5 billion barrels of oil into the environment, the largest oil spill in human history.
Shrinking Aral Sea
The Aral Sea in Central Asia began disappearing in the 1960s because of the diversion of its two feeder rivers for agriculture. This series of images illustrates unintended consequences of water management decisions. From left to right, the images were produced in 1977, 1998 and 2010. (Credit: USGS EROS Data Center)
Amazon Deforestation, 2000-2010
In this image 2000, acquired by the Landsat by the 7 satellite, Amazonian forest is still largely untouched in Rondônia, Brazil. (Credit: NASA)
In this image from 2010 acquired by the Landsat 7, enormous tracts of Amazonian forest disappear in Rondônia, Brazil. (Credit: NASA)
Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980
The 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption was one of the most significant natural disasters in the US in the past half-century. Landsat captured the extent of and recovery from the destruction. (Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA's Earth Observatory)
Columbia Glacier, a Swift Retreat
The Columbia Glacier in Alaska is one of many vanishing around the world. Glacier retreat is one of the most direct and understandable effects of climate change. The consequences of the decline in alpine glaciers include contributing to global sea level rise. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)
The Columbia Glacier in Alaska is one of many vanishing around the world. Glacier retreat is one of the most direct and understandable effects of climate change. The consequences of the decline in alpine glaciers include contributing to global sea level rise. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)
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