Landsat 9

Landsat 9
Landsat 9 in orbit
Mission typeSatellite imagery
OperatorNASA / USGS
COSPAR ID2021-088A
SATCAT no.49260
WebsiteLandsat 9
Mission duration15 years - with fuel (planned)
3 years, 8 months, 24 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftLandsat 9
Spacecraft typeLandsat
BusLEOStar-3
ManufacturerNorthrop Grumman Innovation Systems
Launch mass2,711 kg (5,977 lb)
Dimensions4.6 m × 3 m × 3 m (15.1 ft × 9.8 ft × 9.8 ft)
Power4300 watts
Start of mission
Launch date27 September 2021,
18:12:00 UTC
RocketAtlas V 401 (AV-092)
Launch siteVandenberg, SLC-3E
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
Entered serviceJanuary 6, 2022
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeSun-synchronous orbit
Altitude705 km (438 mi)
Inclination98.2°
Period99.0 minutes
Repeat interval16 days
Instruments
Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2)
Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 (TIRS-2)

LANDSAT 9 mission patch

Landsat 9 is an Earth observation satellite launched on 27 September 2021 from Space Launch Complex-3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base on an Atlas V 401 launch vehicle. NASA is in charge of building, launching, and testing the satellite, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) operates the satellite, and manages and distributes the data archive. It is the ninth satellite developed in the Landsat program, and eighth to reach orbit (Landsat 6 failed to reach orbit). The Critical Design Review (CDR) was completed by NASA in April 2018, and Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) was given the go-ahead to manufacture the satellite.