III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 721 

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural launch of the Landsat 

series of Earth Observation satellites, a joint mission of the United 

States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 26, 2022 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. THUNE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. ROUNDS) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural launch 

of the Landsat series of Earth Observation satellites, 

a joint mission of the United States Geological Survey 

and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

Whereas, on July 23, 2022, the United States Geological 

Survey (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘USGS’’) and the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred 

to in this preamble as ‘‘NASA’’) celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Landsat series of Earth Observation satellites (commonly known as the ‘‘Landsat 

program’’); 

Whereas, through satellite remote sensing, which in 1972 

constituted a new scientific instrument, the Landsat program introduced a powerful tool for humankind to obVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Jul 27, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR721.ATS SR721

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•SRES 721 ATS 

serve the resources of Earth and the long-term changes 

in the condition of the land surfaces of Earth; 

Whereas, as the first civilian program in the United States 

for the systematic observation of the land surfaces of 

Earth, the Landsat program has exemplified the highest 

ideals of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful 

Uses of Outer Space, while helping to position the United 

States as a global leader in the field of satellite remote 

sensing; 

Whereas data and imagery of Earth produced by the Landsat 

program have been used for 50 years in the United 

States and around the world— 

(1) to analyze crop conditions, soil moisture, and 

global crop production; 

(2) to forecast the needs of the world to ensure food 

security; 

(3) to monitor water consumption; 

(4) to facilitate emergency responses to and postevent analyses of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, and 

wildfires; 

(5) to monitor forests and changing land-use patterns; 

(6) to track receding glaciers and changes in sea-ice 

extent; and 

(7) to survey urban growth; 

Whereas data and imagery produced by the Landsat program 

have been applied by— 

(1) many Federal, State, and local agencies, particularly agencies within the Department of the Interior and 

the Department of Agriculture; and 


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(2) the governing bodies of Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives to solve difficult and expensive problems for 

their members at minimum cost to the taxpayers of the 

United States; 

Whereas, since 2008, calibrated on-board data and imagery 

produced by the Landsat program have been made globally available at no cost to the public, greatly amplifying 

the use of such data and imagery, expanding growing 

markets for commercial remote sensing data and analysis, providing the foundation for commercial innovations 

in land remote sensing, and serving as a trusted reference for the calibration of instruments and improvement of commercial data products; 

Whereas data produced by the Landsat program has been estimated to provide billions of dollars in value to the economy of the United States each year; 

Whereas 50 years of continuous Landsat observations— 

(1) supply the world with impartial, fundamental 

evidence to support a scientific understanding of a changing global climate; and 

(2) form the basis for thousands of peer-reviewed, 

scientific publications that have documented changes in 

the land surface of Earth; 

Whereas data produced by the Landsat program provide an 

invaluable common vocabulary and a shared set of references for the state of Earth that can inform international, Federal, and local efforts to address difficult 

environmental and public policy issues; 

Whereas USGS and NASA are currently developing mission 

concepts for Landsat Next, the follow-on mission to 

Landsat 9; 


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•SRES 721 ATS 

Whereas Landsat 9 and the Sustainable Land Imaging program will build on and strengthen this key resource of 

the United States to provide a sustainable, space-based 

system to extend and improve the 50-year series of 

science-quality, global land imaging measurements produced by the Landsat program—the longest time series 

of the land surface of Earth; and 

Whereas, during July 2022, USGS, NASA, scientists, engineers, land managers, and the people of the United 

States will celebrate 50 years since the launch of the first 

Earth-observing satellite of the Landsat program: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the inau3 gural launch of the Landsat series of Earth Obser4 vation satellites (commonly known as the ‘‘Landsat 

5 program’’); 

6 (2) recognizes the scientific, engineering, and 

7 analytical expertise of the United States Geological 

8 Survey (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘USGS’’), 

9 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

10 (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘NASA’’), and the 

11 advisory Landsat Science Team; 

12 (3) recognizes the important contributions that 

13 data produced by the Landsat program provides to 

14 decision-makers worldwide and the desire to con15 tinue the Landsat program into the next 50 years 

16 through Landsat Next; 


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1 (4) designates July 23, 2022, as ‘‘Landsat 50th 

2 Anniversary Day’’, or ‘‘Landsaturday’’; and 

3 (5) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

4 the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolu5 tion to the Director of USGS and the Administrator 

6 of NASA. 

Æ 


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