Landsat's Earth Observation Data Support Disease Prediction, Solutions to Pollution, and More

How can open access to Earth imagery help predict disease spread or identify solutions to toxic waterways? The Landsat program–the longest-standing continuous global record of the Earth’s surface through satellite imagery–has enabled these and other solutions in support of people, planet, and prosperity since its launch in the 1970s. Beyond its social and environmental impacts, Landsat is also an economic boon; it has produced annual cost savings in the United States ranging from US$350 million to $436 million for federal and state governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, as well as an estimated worldwide economic benefit as high as $2.19 billion as of 2011. Landsat is a powerful example of the benefits of long-term investing to build robust data systems for sustained, longitudinal monitoring of environmental, social, and economic conditions.

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