Landsat 9 Satellite Capabilities
Medium Resolution Earth Observation for Long Term Environmental Monitoring
About the Landsat 9 Satellite
Landsat 9, launched on September 27, 2021, is a U.S. Earth observation satellite operated by NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It collects 30 metre resolution multispectral imagery across the visible, near-infrared (NIR), and shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands. Thermal infrared (TIR) data is captured at 100 metre resolution and resampled to 30 metres to maintain consistency with other Landsat datasets. With a swath width of 185 km and a 16-day revisit cycle, Landsat 9 provides regular, medium-resolution imagery suited to tracking environmental and surface changes on a global scale.
Building on the legacy of the Landsat program, Landsat 9 delivers consistent and freely accessible data to support applications such as ecosystem monitoring, agricultural analysis, forestry, water resource management, and urban development. Its multispectral and thermal imagery enables detailed assessments of vegetation health, land use change, wildfire impact, and environmental degradation. The satellite’s contribution to a 50+ year archive of Earth imagery strengthens climate research, land planning, and sustainable development worldwide.
Cost effective Data
A great option for low-cost satellite imagery and geospatial data.
Creative Commons license
Available under a Creative Commons-like license, ideal for public, commercial, and academic use.
Key Features and Benefits of the Landsat 9 Satellite
- Multispectral and thermal imaging across visible, NIR, SWIR, and TIR bands supports accurate monitoring of land surface and environmental conditions.
- 185 km swath and 16-day revisit cycle provide repeatable coverage for global change detection and land trend analysis.
- Continuation of the Landsat program with a 50+ year imagery archive for long-term research and policy planning.
- Enables vegetation analysis, drought monitoring, urban heat detection, and water quality assessment.
- Aids in disaster response and recovery with regularly updated imagery of flood zones, wildfire scars, and earthquake impacts.
- Landsat 9 assists in the sustainable management of natural resources, including water, forestry, and agriculture, aiding in decision-making and resource conservation efforts.
- Supports sustainable agriculture, forestry, and land use planning with medium-resolution coverage of large landscapes.
