By Jessica Merzdorf Evans //LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA// In early 2021, local artist (and Lompoc Mural Society curator) Ann Thompson competed in and won the call for artists to commemorate Landsat 9's launch and the Landsat program's 50th anniversary. Along with representatives from NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, United Launch Alliance, and the city of Lompoc, Thompson …
By Jessica Merzdorf Evans //LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA// 11AM, Lompoc Airport Launch day dawned gray and cool, with low-hanging cloud cover and a light drizzle. While the launch crew ran through their final procedures and checks before launch, I went to the public viewing site at Lompoc Airport, where several tents' worth of activities and a "not-quite-life-sized" …
By Jessica Merzdorf Evans //LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA// It's a smoky Saturday evening in the small town of Lompoc, California, and most of the streets are quiet — except for the warmly lit tables and flickering tiki torches in the outdoor dining area at Hangar 7. It's Landsat Trivia Night, and the small restaurant is bustling with …
By Jessica Merzdorf Evans // NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, MARYLAND // When the Landsat 9 satellite launches to space next week, it won't be going alone. NASA is partnering with the U.S. Space Force to launch four CubeSats — miniature satellites — on the same Atlas V rocket that's taking Landsat 9 to …
by Jenny Marder //VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA// It's less than four days before the planned launch of Landsat 9, and the perfect time to learn about this amazing satellite and the nearly 50-year-old Landsat program. Did you know: Landsat gives us the longest continuous space-based record of planet Earth. Since the first satellite launched …
By Emily Fischer, NASA's Earth Science News Team /GREENBELT, MARYLAND/ On July 7, 2021, NASA sent two robotic explorers to the Arctic to collect sea surface temperature data and improve estimates of ocean temperatures in that region. Pairing up with Saildrone, a designer and manufacturer of non-crewed surface vehicles or USVs, researchers hope to use …
