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#           Eyes on Earth Episode 108 – Landsat 8’s 100th Drag Make-Up Maneuver                    Active

      By Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center       November 20, 2023    

                  -              Overview           

The USGS EROS Landsat Flight Operations Team recently completed the 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver for Landsat 8.

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The Landsat Program is considered the gold standard for satellite Earth-observation imagery. To keep it that way, the USGS EROS Flight Operations Team continually monitors the flight paths of the Landsat satellites to make sure they stay at a consistent 705-kilometer altitude. That means frequently speeding it up to counter the effects of atmospheric drag. But that’s not all. The team accounts for solar activity, space junk, and other factors to keep the satellites safe. Landsat 8’s 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver in October 2023 gives us the opportunity, in this episode of Eyes on Earth, to talk about these and the other maneuvers the flight team executes and how they work.

**Guest**: Larry Tornabene, Flight Systems Manager for Landsat 8

**Host**: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)

**Producer**: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)

**Release date**: Monday, November 20, 2023

Download and Transcript Access

 

**More about Landsat**:
                                      - USGS Landsat Missions
                                      - USGS Landsat 8  Interactive Story
                                      - NASA Landsat Science—Landsat 8
                                      - Landsat Satellites Operated from EROS for First Time

 

## Related Episodes

                                -  -  February 21, 2023  Eyes on Earth Episode 90 – Landsat 8 Turns 10
Originally called the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, Landsat 8 launched on February 11, 2013. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk about the 10^th^ anniversary of Landsat 8 being in orbit and its value to the remote sensing community.
ByCore Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 
-  January 20, 2023  Eyes on Earth Episode 88 – Landsat 5’s Significance, Part 2
Designed to last three years, Landsat 5 was launched in 1984 and transmitted data until the launch of Landsat 8 in 2013.
ByCore Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 
-  August 10, 2020  Eyes on Earth Episode 31 – Landsat 7 Flight Operations
Just recently, in mid-July, the flight operations team charged with keeping the Landsat 7 satellite running smoothly achieved a major milestone. They have gone 8 straight years now without an operator error.
ByNational Land Imaging Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Landsat Missions
-  January 13, 2020  Eyes on Earth Episode 14 – Space Debris
Sixty years of manned and unmanned space flight have left a cosmic junkyard circling the planet. In 2017, the U.S. government reported that it logged 308,984 close calls with space junk and issued 655 emergency-reportable alerts to satellite operators.
ByEarth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Landsat Missions
 

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Michelle Bouchard

##### Communications and Outreach

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 

mbouchard@usgs.gov

605-594-6168

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                  - Overview  
The USGS EROS Landsat Flight Operations Team recently completed the 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver for Landsat 8.
Return to Eyes on Earth Homepage        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsView        Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsLarry Tornabene.
The Landsat Program is considered the gold standard for satellite Earth-observation imagery. To keep it that way, the USGS EROS Flight Operations Team continually monitors the flight paths of the Landsat satellites to make sure they stay at a consistent 705-kilometer altitude. That means frequently speeding it up to counter the effects of atmospheric drag. But that’s not all. The team accounts for solar activity, space junk, and other factors to keep the satellites safe. Landsat 8’s 100th Drag Make-Up maneuver in October 2023 gives us the opportunity, in this episode of Eyes on Earth, to talk about these and the other maneuvers the flight team executes and how they work.

**Guest**: Larry Tornabene, Flight Systems Manager for Landsat 8

**Host**: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)

**Producer**: Tom Adamson (contractor for USGS EROS)

**Release date**: Monday, November 20, 2023

Download and Transcript Access

 

**More about Landsat**:
- USGS Landsat Missions
- USGS Landsat 8  Interactive Story
- NASA Landsat Science—Landsat 8
- Landsat Satellites Operated from EROS for First Time

 
Related Episodes-  -  February 21, 2023  Eyes on Earth Episode 90 – Landsat 8 Turns 10
Originally called the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, Landsat 8 launched on February 11, 2013. In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we talk about the 10^th^ anniversary of Landsat 8 being in orbit and its value to the remote sensing community.
ByCore Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 
-  January 20, 2023  Eyes on Earth Episode 88 – Landsat 5’s Significance, Part 2
Designed to last three years, Landsat 5 was launched in 1984 and transmitted data until the launch of Landsat 8 in 2013.
ByCore Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center 
-  August 10, 2020  Eyes on Earth Episode 31 – Landsat 7 Flight Operations
Just recently, in mid-July, the flight operations team charged with keeping the Landsat 7 satellite running smoothly achieved a major milestone. They have gone 8 straight years now without an operator error.
ByNational Land Imaging Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Landsat Missions
-  January 13, 2020  Eyes on Earth Episode 14 – Space Debris
Sixty years of manned and unmanned space flight have left a cosmic junkyard circling the planet. In 2017, the U.S. government reported that it logged 308,984 close calls with space junk and issued 655 emergency-reportable alerts to satellite operators.
ByEarth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Landsat Missions
 
Study AreaContactsMichelle BouchardCommunications and OutreachEarth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center Emailmbouchard@usgs.govPhone605-594-6168Explore Search- Information Systems
- Maps and Mapping
- Science Technology
- Eyes on Earth
- Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
- Landsat 8
- Landsat Archive
View All **