Landsat celebrates 40 years of photographing Earth – Cosmic Log

Forty years ago this week, the first in a string of Landsat satellites was launched to keep continuous track of our planet — and on the 40th birthday, Landsat’s handlers demonstrated that satellite observations are the gifts that keep on giving. But for how much longer? ATMOS‘s Dennis Hartmann is quoted in this retrospective and introspective discussion of the importance of satellite imagery for understanding global environmental dynamics.