Md. Every 16 days, Landsat 7 will fly over and document the condition of the entire globe. So good are the Landsat images that scientists studying volcanoes can actually produce maps of lava flows with pinpoint accuracy. Landsat 7 marks a new direction in the program to reduce the cost of data and increase global coverage for use in global change research. Every day, Landsat 7 will collect 250 scenes, each one containing enough digital data to fill a powerful home computer's hard drive. While previous Landsat data were often too expensive for widespread scientific use, all Landsat 7 data received at the main collecting center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota will be archived and available electronically within 24 hours and will be sold at cost.
Urban sprawl is one example.
Observing urban areas over time with Landsat imagery can show where growth is taking place and help geographers evaluate how different urban planning programs effect population growth and land use. Another group of scientists led by the Department of Agriculture want to use Landsat 7 data to improve on a program to help farmers and land managers increase crop yields and cut costs while reducing environmental pollution. Scientists from NASA's partner agency in the Landsat 7 mission, the U.S. Geological Survey, want to use Landsat 7 to spot the amount and condition of dry biomass on the ground, which are potential sources for feeding wildfires that can threaten humans, animals and natural resources. Pacific Daylight Time. Landsat 7 will be launched on a Delta-II expendable launch vehicle.