The NASA/USGS Landsat 9 satellite scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on September 16 has been pushed back to September 23 because of transportation issues involving liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is needed to support launch site activities.
For nearly five decades, the Landsat mission has provided the longest continuous record of Earth’s land surfaces from space, and this data archive informs and influences not just the U.S., but countries across the world. Information gathered by Landsat helps world leaders and policymakers gain a deeper understanding of environmental change, respond to natural disasters, and even forecast future crop production.
To commemorate Landsat and its importance to our understanding of Earth, Explore Lompoc, NASA, and USGS are hosting many “Launch Week” events in the city of Lompoc during the days before and after the launch. Here are the activities with the rescheduled times.