LDCM launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Image credit: NASA/ Bill Ingalls

On Monday, February 11th, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission spacecraft (to be called Landsat 8) was launched safely in orbit and is sending telemetry back to Earth. After 90 days, the U.S. Geological Survey will begin to provide ongoing free data which will extend more than 40 years of satellite observations critical to water management, forest monitoring, urban planning and agriculture. LDCM will carry two push broom sensors: Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS).

Dr. Mike Wulder from the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), an Adjunct Professor within UBC’s Department of Forest Resources Management, is part of the Landsat Science Team and was part of the NASA press conference on Friday about the launch and the significance of the Landsat series of satellites.

Mike works with Prof Nicholas Coops in the Integrated Remote Sensing Studio (IRSS) on many projects using time series analysis of Landsat data for forest growth, disturbance and forest structure assessment.

Press conference

Mike Wulder and colleagues discuss the data that will be collected from the Landsat mission.