Landsat 9 was set to launch Sept. 27 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, California, according to a release from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The mission, a partnership between USGS and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will provide information about natural and economic resources, including land changes that could contribute to climate change, the release states.
“As the global population surpasses eight billion people, it will be important to effectively manage land to sustain life on Earth,” acting director of USGS David Applegate, said in the release.
This marks the next step in the Landsat series of satellites. As it enters orbit, Landsat 9 will replicate Landsat 8's capabilities and Landsat 7 will lower, ending its 22 years of orbit.
“Landsat 9 will pair with Landsat 8 to greatly improve our understanding of what is driving changes to our lands, surface waters, and coasts, and how we can sustainably manage it,” Applegate added.
According to the release, NASA and USGS started considering possibilities for the next generation of satellite, called Landsat Next, even before Landsat 9 was even fully built.
"Exciting as it is, Landsat 9’s launch is not an end, but a beginning,” Kevin Gallagher, the associate director for Core Science Systems at USGS, said in the release.
Originally scheduled for September 16, the launch was delayed due to a shortage of liquid nitrogen and high winds, NASA said in a release Sept. 15.
Landsat 9 will carry the Operational Land Imager 2, which will use near infrared and shortwave infrared light to capture images, the release states. It will also carry the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, to measure the heat of the earth’s surfaces.
This will continue the mission that began in 1972 to collect data and imagery that has helped in a variety of fields, including agriculture and forestry, according to the release. Over its course, Landsat has has played a role in mapping ice, tracking permafrost change, changing seasons, understanding fire and more.
