The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) was reinvigorated in December, 2005 when Dr. John H. Marburger, Director of the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy, issued a memorandum directing NASA to "...acquire a single Landsat data continuity
mission in the form of a free-flyer spacecraft to collect the required land surface data and deliver its data to the Department of the
Interior (DOI) / United States Geological Survey (USGS)." The memo emphasizes the need for both near-term and long-term data
continuity in the Landsat program.
The LDCM is scheduled to be launched in December of 2012 with a thermal infrared sensor (TIRS). The LDCM will be called Landsat 8 after it achieves orbit.
Water-resource applications have a critical need for thermal data, and those data must be maintained on the next and future Landsat satellites.
| Rep. David R. Obey, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives |
Explanatory Statement Submitted by Mr. Obey, Chairman on the House Committee on Appropriations, Regarding H.R. 1105, Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 |
Direction for NASA to spend $10 million on the development of a Thermal infrared sensor for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
Feb 2009 |
| Richard Felling, Chief Hydrology Section Nevada Division of Water Resources |
Letter to Senator Harry Reid |
Request that NASA's budget be augmented in order to assure the continuity of Landsat thermal data |
Feb 2009 |
| Harris D. Sherman, Executive Director, Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources |
Letter to Senator Mark Udall |
Request that NASA's budget be augmented in order to assure the continuity of Landsat thermal data |
Jan 2009 |
| Allen Biaggi, State Engineer of Nevada |
Letter to Senator Harry Reid |
Request that NASA's budget be augmented in order to assure the continuity of Landsat thermal data |
Dec 2008 |
| H.R. 6063 |
Section 205 of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Act of 2008 |
Public Law directing NASA to plan for thermal data continuity on Landsat |
Oct 2008 |
| 12 United States Senators |
Letter to Senators Byrd, Cochran, Mikulski, and Shelby |
Letter signed by 12 U.S. Senators requesting $35 million be added to NASA's FY08 budget for a thermal sensor on LDCM |
May 2008 |
| M. Michael Rounds, Governor of South Dakota Dave Freudenthal, Governor of Wyoming |
Senator Mikulski and Senator Stevens and Rep. Mollohan and Rep. Frelinghuysen |
Letter expressing the support of the Western Governors' Association for issues including thermal band on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
May 2007 |
Sen. Ken Salazar (D - Colorado),
Sen. Mike Crapo (R - Idaho) |
Support Landsat - A Critical Tool for Water Resource Management |
Letter signed by 9 U.S. Senators requesting $35 million be added to NASA's FY08 budget for a thermal sensor on LDCM |
June 2007 |
Rick Allen, Martha Anderson |
Annotated Bibliography - Landsat Thermal Band |
Annotated bibliography of peer-reviewed literature on Landsat-derived evapotranspiration and energy balance |
Mar 2007 |
| Tracy Taylor, Nevada State Engineer |
Letter to Senator Harry Reid |
Letter requesting funding for a Landsat thermal band |
Feb 2007 |
| Wim Bastiaanssen |
Progress in utilizing space borne high resolution thermal radiometer in water resources research and management |
European use of Landsat thermal data |
Jan 2004 |
| Landsat Data Continuity Mission Science Team |
Letter to Dr. Michael Griffin, NASA Administrator; Dr. Mark Myers, Director of the USGS |
Unanimous recommendation for inclusion of thermal instrument on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
Jan 2007 |
| Eastern Snake Hydrologic Modeling Committee |
Letter to Senator Larry Craig and
Letter to Senator Mike Crapo |
Letters asking that funds be appropriated to pay for a thermal imager on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
Jan 2007 |
| Duane A. Smith Chairman, Western States Water Council |
Letter to Panels of the National Research Council Decadal Survey |
Letter supporting a thermal band on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
Sept 2006 |
| Martha Anderson, Richard G. Allen, et al |
Letter to Panels of the Decadal Survey of the National Research Council |
Letter with 117 co-signers explaining the need for a Landsat thermal band |
Sept 2006 |
M. Michael Rounds, Governor of SD;
Dave Freudenthal, Governor of WY |
Letter from the Western Governors' Association to Dr. John H. Marburger, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy |
Letter expressing the support of the Western Governors' Association for a thermal band on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
Sept 2006 |
| Simon Hook, et al. |
Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Earth System Data Record |
White paper from NASA's Land Measurements Team |
2006 |
| Dale Quattrochi |
NASA Earth Science Questions Addressed by High-Resolution Spaceborne Thermal Infrared Data |
Discussion of how Landsat thermal data apply to 7 of NASA's 23 Earth Science Questions |
Sept 2006 |
| Richard G. Allen |
Critical Need for a Landsat Thermal Band |
Detailed justification for thermal imager aboard Landsat |
Aug 2006 |
| Patrick J. Tyrrell |
Letter from the Wyoming State Engineer to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy |
Letter explaining State of Wyoming's support for Landsat thermal band |
Aug 2006 |
| Duane A. Smith |
Letter from the Western States Water Council to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy |
Letter explaining support of the WSWC for Landsat thermal band |
July 2006 |
| Western Governors' Association |
Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future |
Landsat thermal data are specifically identified in Recommendation 2A |
June 2006 |
| William Kramber, et al. |
Balancing Water Needs of Crops and Fish |
A general-interest article on mapping ET using Landsat and METRIC -- from Geoworld Magazine |
June 2006 |
| NASA |
TIR Image Requirements |
Draft specifications for LDCM thermal band |
May 2006 |
| Anthony Morse, et al. |
Mapping Evapotranspiration using Landsat and the METRIC Evapotranspiration Model |
Presented at 2006 ASPRS Annual Meeting - Reno |
May 2006 |
| Anthony Morse, Richard G. Allen |
Water and the Critical Need for a Thermal Band on Landsat |
Justification for high resolution thermal and short wave imagery on Landsat |
Apr 2006 |
| Richard G. Allen |
Letter to Senator Michael Crapo |
On the importance of Landsat thermal data to Idaho |
Feb 2006 |
| Anthony Morse |
Summary - The Need for a Thermal Band on Landsat |
2 page bulleted summary of justification for the thermal band |
Feb 2006 |
| White House Office of Science and Technology Policy |
Landsat Data Continuity Strategy Adjustment |
Announcement for a free-flying Landsat |
Dec 2005 |
| Karl J. Dreher - Director, IDW |
Letter from the Director of Idaho Department of Water Resources Re: Landsat Data Continuity Mission |
Letter to NASA requesting thermal imager aboard LDCM |
Feb 2006 |
| |
Water and Food Satellite System |
A resolution supporting a fleet of food and water security satellites having TIR |
Nov 2005 |
| Anthony Morse, et al |
Mapping Evapotranspiration from Satellites |
A general-interest article on mapping ET using Landsat and METRIC - from Southwest Hydrology Magazine |
May 2005 |
| United States Government |
United States Code Title 15, chapter 82 |
U.S. Land Remote Sensing Policy |
1992 |