BackForward Satellite Programme: Landsat Data Continuity Mission 

Programme details
Programme description
  • New satellite series to provide continuity to the Landsat programme following Landsat-7.
  • USA programme: NASA responsible of the development of the space segment, USGS responsible of mission requirements definition, development of the ground segment and full system operation.
  • The platforms are actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time of the satellites is 7 years (5 years for the prototype).
  • The satellites exploit the Landsat orbit, sunsynchronous around 10:00.
  • The replacement policy is based on launching satellites in sequence, roughly 6 months before the expected end-of-life of a satellite.
  • See detailed description at http://ldcm.nasa.gov/index.html.
Data circulation
  • Selected images stored onboard and downlinked to stations in Fairbanks and Svalbard.
  • Real-time downlink to a network of appointed acquisition stations in X-band.
  • All data concentrated to the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Data Center (EDC) of the USGS for processing and distribution.
Agencies USGS , NASA
Programme lifetime 2013 - 2031
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned