Weathering the Storm ( An overly simplified look at past Landsat policy and challenges for the future)

Some Important Events in Program NASA Earth Resources Aircraft Program & early investigations Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Crew Photographs - “happy snaps” DOI proposes Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Skylab Earth Resources Experiment Package Launch of ERTS-1 (Landsat 1) spacecraft with RBV and MSS First LGSOWG meeting (Houston) and International Ground Stations LACIE and AGRISTARS Chernobyl accident and Pinatubo Volcano The “Grand Commercialization Experiment” The month-to-month funding crisis of the late 80’s The Gulf War and emerging global change concerns Corona, Argon, and Lanyard declassification Google Earth and similar search and retrieval system availability A Plan for a U.S. National Land Imaging Program, OSTP, August 2007

Landsat Program Management Over the Past 40 Years 1965 – DOI proposes ( Pecora/Fisher) an Earth Observing Satellite System NASA initiates the program with the launch of ERTS 1 (Landsat 1) NASA manages the program through the launch of Landsats 1, 2, and 3 (72, 75, and 78) PD 54 program management transferred to DOC NOAA DOC NOAA manages the program through the launches of Landsats 4 and 5 (82 and 84) 1984 – PL directs DOC to commercialize Landsat operations DOC selects EOSAT ( Hughes & RCA) for 10 year Landsat contract –2 satellites (later negotiated to 1 for $245M government funding) –Shuttle launch (later changed to Delta when West Coast shuttle launch facility scrubbed) –Government pays all Landsat operations costs for 10 year contract (85-94) –EOSAT establishes data prices and retains revenue from all data sales 1989 – DOC announces shutdown of Landsat operations due to lack of funding; initiates year- to-year crisis 1990 – Desert Storm Gulf War 1992 – PDD#5 LRSPA assigns NASA and DOD management for Landsat –Landsat 6 fails on launch bringing end to commercialization attempt 1994 – DOD bows out of Landsat transferring funding to NASA; PD 23 assigns management to NASA, NOAA, and USGS 1999 – Landsat 7 successfully launched 2003 – NASA second commercialization attempt through “data buy” concept for LDCM fails – no takers 2004 – NSPD 15 leads to LDCM on NPOESS for LDCM 2005 – OSTP decision to go to “single flyer” for LDCM managed by NASA and USGS 2007 – NLIP study and report recommends future NLIP to be managed by DOI

Vision for the Future “ A National Land Imaging Program led by the U.S. Department of the Interior to ensure that U.S land imaging needs are met …and to maintain U.S. leadership in civil land imaging and land science, including the development and operation of U.S. owned operational assets dedicated to civil land imaging purposes….” “A Plan For A U.S. National Land Imaging Program”, August 2007, OSTP Reminder “ A vision without funding is just a hallucination ”