Eric D. Colburn, PLS

Satellite is Now Stabilized and the Cause is Being Investigated

Landsat 5 - Professional Land Surveyor Source: NASA

Landsat 5 tumbled out of control and power was at a critical level in the early morning of August 13.

The cause for this anomaly is currently unknown and being investigated.

The spacecraft has been stabilized after the USGS Landsat Flight Operations Team initiated recovery operations. Power is still at a critical level, and the extent of damage is yet to be determined. Imaging operations are suspended until further notice.

“Landsat 5 has proven to be a remarkable success and has given the science community important information on land features of the planet,” said USGS Landsat Program manager Kristi Kline. “It was launched in 1984 and designed to last 3 years with a possible extension to five years. Incredibly it is still a valuable resource and by early 2009, it had completed over 129,000 orbits and acquired over 700,000 individual scenes.”

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Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Astrogeologists at the U.S. Geological Survey here provided critical data sets used in the latest release of planetary exploration tools from Google, Inc.  The updated software enables users to explore the moon in high detail, including the Apollo 11 landing site.

Google Inc. and NASA Ames Research Center consulted USGS scientists, cartographers, technicians, and programmers from the Astrogeology Science Center – experts with more than four decades of experience assembling planetary images – in preparing the new release. “Moon in Google Earth” provides easy access to lunar data for researchers and enthusiasts alike.

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