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Landsat 1 Graphics Library

Discover the story of Landsat 1 through a collection of satellite images, mission diagrams, clean room photos, and other historic visuals. This gallery showcases the spacecraft’s design, launch, and groundbreaking Earth observations that marked the start of modern land imaging.

The Landsat 1 MSS engineering model on the back of its road trip transport truck in May 1972. A Hughes...
The MSS engineering model on the back of a truck with a man standing on the ground to the right.
Two men move the MSS engineering model. A technician stands on the truck wearing a red shirt.
Two men move the MSS engineering model. A technician stands on the truck wearing a red shirt.
Side view of the transport truck with a side door open and the MSS on the ground in front of...
Side view of the transport truck with a side door open and the MSS on the ground in front of the door. Tall pine trees can be seen behind the truck.
The Landsat 1 MSS engineering model on the back of a truck with three people, and a car in background.
The Landsat 1 MSS engineering model on the back of a truck with three people, and a car in background.
The Landsat 1 MSS engineering model on a truck.
The Landsat 1 MSS engineering model on a truck.
A closer view of the Landsat 1 MSS Engineering model on the back of a truck during its May 1972...
MSS Engineering model in the back of a truck.
The MSS engineering model mounted to a rotating table and deployed on a truck. The Hughes team test-imaged scenic California...
Black and white photograph of the truck mounted MSS
The MSS engineering model at the National Air and Space Museum in 1993. This photograph was taken by MSS Project...
The MSS engineering model at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
The Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) mockup in a spin test chamber at GE’s Space Division in Valley Forge, PA.
A Black and White Photograph of ERTS (Landsat 1) in a test chamber at GE’s Space Division in Valley Forge, PA.
NASA scientist Stan Freden with a Landsat 1 model.
A photograph of NASA scientist Stan Freden with a Landsat 1 model.
Women at NASA 1959 from left Lucille Coltrane, Jean Clark Keating - Katherine Collie Speegle, Doris 'Dot' Lee, Ruth I....
Women at NASA 1959 from left Lucille Coltrane, Jean Clark Keating - Katherine Collie Speegle, Doris 'Dot' Lee, Ruth I. Whitman, Emily Stephens Mueller.
An image of a boom-mounted Exotech taking measurements over a field during a LACIE field campaign.
An image of a boom-mounted Exotech taking measurements over a field during a LACIE field campaign.
(Left) TIROS-I image (1960) of eastern Canada and the cloud-covered western Atlantic Ocean, and (right) a March, 1973 Landsat 1...
Two satellite images compared to one another, on the left a TIROS-I image of Eastern Canada, and on the right Landsat 1 image of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island.
Landsat multispectral scanner system (MSS) imagery over central Pennsylvania (left), and southwestern Morocco (right). The scales of the two images...
Two black & white Landsat MSS satellite images side by side.
Diagram of the four-band MSS, the photomultiplier tubes and silicon photodiodes are tucked in the rear of the sensor.
Diagram of the four-band MSS, the photomultiplier tubes and silicon photodiodes are tucked in the rear of the sensor.
Physical model of Landsat 1-3 satellite.
A black and white diagram of the Multispectral Scanner (MSS).
A black and white diagram of the Multispectral Scanner (MSS). It highlights the 6 detectors per band, scan mirror, and the path and swath width below.
A density map showing the distribution of the total 174,955 MSS scenes acquired and archived during the lifetime of the...
A density map showing the distribution of the total 174,955 MSS scenes acquired and archived during the lifetime of the Landsat 1 mission. The colors represent the number of products per Path/Row.
USGS archive MSS scenes archived in Jan–Dec 1973. Legend colors represent ranges of scene totals with <30% cloud cover for...
USGS archive MSS scenes archived in Jan–Dec 1973. Legend colors represent ranges of scene totals with
USGS archive MSS scenes archived. Legend colors represent ranges of scene totals with <30% cloud cover for each location. Values...
USGS archive MSS scenes archived. Legend colors represent ranges of scene totals with
Scan lines of MS1 Jan–Dec 1974. Legend colors represent ranges of scene totals with <30% cloud cover for each location....
Scan lines of MS1 Jan–Dec 1974. Legend colors represent ranges of scene totals with
Point multispectral radiometer methodology (top), and a line scanning multispectral sensor (bottom).
A hand drawn diagram showing how the Multispecral Scanner works. Identifies the amplifiers, rotating scan mirror, prism, energy input, Detectors sensitive to different wavelengths, direction of scan, direction of flight, mag tape, real-time monitor, and film recorder.
A diagram showing a line scanning multispectral sensor.
A diagram showing a line scanning multispectral sensor. Text in this image reads as: The spectral signature of an object is a repeatable set of reflected energy levels at specific wavelengths.
Landsats 1–3 had altitudes of 917 km (570 miles), 99° orbital inclinations, and sun-synchronous orbits. Each spacecraft therefore crossed the...
A black and white drawing showing Landsat 1-3's orbital inclinations.
Ground track map displaying satellite orbit paths across Earth, with Goldstone and NTTF (NASA Tracking and Telemetry Facility) ground stations...
Ground track map displaying satellite orbit paths across Earth, with Goldstone and NTTF (NASA Tracking and Telemetry Facility) ground stations identified. The numbered positions represent orbit passes for mission planning and communication coverage analysis.
Polar projection of Antarctica highlighting eight significant ice changes (labeled A-H) observed from ERTS satellite imagery during December 1972-February 1973....
Polar projection of Antarctica highlighting eight significant ice changes (labeled A-H) observed from ERTS satellite imagery during December 1972-February 1973. Notable features include the Ronne Ice Front, Thwaites Ice Tongue, Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo area changes, Drygalski Ice Tongue, and Lambert Glacier, demonstrating early satellite monitoring of Antarctic ice dynamics.
This schematic appears in the ERTS Reference Manual that was prepared by General Electric prior to the Landsat 1 (ERTS-1)...
This schematic appears in the ERTS Reference Manual that was prepared by General Electric prior to the Landsat 1 (ERTS-1) launch in 1972. The schematic shows the Landsat 1 flight profile, from liftoff (0) to spacecraft separation (10). The manual tells us, “an all-inertial guidance system, consisting of an inertial sensor package and guidance computer, controls the vehicle and sequence of operations from liftoff to spacecraft separation. The flight profile is presented in [this figure] .”
A typical day of image scheduling by the OCC. The solid lines are scenes recorded to the wideband video tape...
A black and white diagram showing the scan lines and image scheduling by the OCC
Schematic view of coaligned RBVs taking imagery of a target region.
Schematic view of coaligned RBVs taking imagery of a target region.
Technical line drawing of the Landsat 1 satellite (originally called ERTS-1) with labeled components including solar paddles, sensory ring, return...
Technical line drawing of the Landsat 1 satellite (originally called ERTS-1) with labeled components including solar paddles, sensory ring, return beam vidicon cameras, multispectral scanner, attitude control subsystem, and various antennas. The illustration shows coordinate axes and the satellite's orbit direction.
Detailed schematic of the Landsat satellite platform showing key subsystems and instruments. The illustration identifies critical components including dual solar...
Detailed schematic of the Landsat satellite platform showing key subsystems and instruments. The illustration identifies critical components including dual solar arrays for power generation, attitude control and measurement systems, communications equipment (wideband and S-band antennas), imaging sensors (multispectral scanner and return beam vidicon cameras), and propulsion elements.
Return beam vidicon (RBV) and multispectral scanner system (MSS) data downlinks. All data were recorded to wideband video tape (WBVT);...
A diagram showing Landsat 2's functionality and relationship with ground stations such as NASA Goddard, Gilmore Creek, and Goldstone.