Planetary Society logo
  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

Landsat 4-5 satellite in orbit

Landsat 4-5 satellite in orbit
Landsat 4-5 satellite in orbit This artist’s rendering shows a Landsat 4-5 generation satellite in orbit around Earth. NASA launched Landsat 4 in 1982 and Landsat 5 in 1984, and the two satellites shared the same design. In 1984, Congress passed a law to privatize Landsat, and a private company took over operations of both satellites the following year. Image prices soared and research use plummeted until the program returned to public hands in 1992. NASA