Landsat Thermal Band

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.


NASA - Landsat Data Continuity Mission
USGS - Landsat Data Continuity Mission

Relevant Documents

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Author Document Description Date
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