Landsat

American  

[land-sat] / ˈlændˌsæt /

noun

1. a U.S. scientific satellite that studies and photographs the earth's surface by using remote-sensing techniques.

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Landsat Scientific  

/ lănd′săt′ /

1. Any of various satellites used to gather data for images of the Earth's land surface and coastal regions. These satellites are equipped with sensors that respond to Earth-reflected sunlight and infrared radiation. The first Landsat satellite was launched in 1972. Currently, the seventh satellite (Landsat 7) is orbiting Earth.

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Etymology

Origin of Landsat

First recorded in 1975–80; land or land(-sensing) + sat(ellite)

Example Sentences

Aschbacher noted that the EU'S navigation satellite system Galileo and Earth observation programme Copernicus started out 10 to 15 years behind US competitors GPS and Landsat.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

By using the proxy of the ice bumps in the Landsat images, the record of thinning observations can be pushed back a further two decades.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2024

New deforestation datasets, based on the Landsat satellites, for instance, track forest change since 2000 with resolution at 30 meters, while many other products now offer frequent imaging at close resolution.

From Science Daily • Sep. 20, 2023

For today’s researchers, the images from the early generations of Landsat satellites offer important baseline records to assess climate change, shoreline erosion, rainforest loss and other shifts.

From Washington Post • Mar. 30, 2023

Since 1972, the U.S. has conducted experimental civil remote sensing through Landsat satellites, thereby realizing many successful applications.

From State of the Union Address by Carter, Jimmy