![]() Landsat 7 before launch | |
Mission type | Satellite imagery |
---|---|
Operator | NASA / USGS |
COSPAR ID | 1999-020A |
SATCAT no. | 25682 |
Mission duration | 5 years (planned) 25 years, 4 months, 5 days (in progress) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | TIROS-N |
Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Space Systems |
Launch mass | 1973 kg |
Dimensions | 4.04 metre long 2.74 metre diameter |
Power | 1550 watts |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 15 April 1999, 18:32:00 UTC |
Rocket | Delta II 7920 |
Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-2W |
Contractor | Boeing |
Entered service | 1999 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
Altitude | 705 km |
Inclination | 98.21° |
Period | 98.83 minutes |
Repeat interval | 16 days |
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Landsat 7 is the seventh satellite of the Landsat program. Launched on 15 April 1999, Landsat 7's primary goal is to refresh the global archive of satellite photos, providing up-to-date and cloud-free images. The Landsat program is managed and operated by the United States Geological Survey, and data from Landsat 7 is collected and distributed by the USGS. The NASA WorldWind project allows 3D images from Landsat 7 and other sources to be freely navigated and viewed from any angle. The satellite's companion, Earth Observing-1, trailed by one minute and followed the same orbital characteristics, but in 2011 its fuel was depleted and EO-1's orbit began to degrade.[2] Landsat 7 was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
In 2016, NASA announced it planned to attempt the first ever refueling of a live satellite by refueling Landsat 7 in 2020 with the OSAM-1 mission;[3][4][5][6] however after multiple delays, NASA announced the cancellation of OSAM-1 in March 2024.[7]