Out-of-Control Landsat 5 Sat Stabilized

August 24, 2009

An artist's rendering of the Landsat5 satellite. Landsat 5 tumbled out of control and power was at a critical level in the early morning of August 13, but the U.S. Geological Survey Landsat Flight Operations Team has stabilized the craft and is investigating the cause of the problem.

Landsat 5's power is still at a critical level, however, and the extent of damage is yet to be determined, the USGS said. It has suspended imaging operations until further notice.

"Landsat 5 has proven to be a remarkable success and has given the science community important information on land features of the planet," said Kristi Kline, USGS Landsat program manager. "It was launched in 1984 and designed to last three years with a possible extension to five years. Incredibly it is still a valuable resource and by early 2009, it had completed over 129,000 orbits and acquired over 700,000 individual scenes."

Over the years the Landsat 5 has provided data demonstrating alterations over Chernobyl region after the nuclear power plant eruption, de-forestation of tropical rain forests, drought and flooding in the Mississippi River basin, construction of the Three Gorges dam in China, shrinking of the Aral Sea, Northern Wisconsin after a tornado pass, the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and countless forest and wildfire outbreaks.