Landsat 5 (MSS)

Landsat 5 is a US Geological Survey (USGS) remote sensing satellite. It was launched on March 1, 1984 via a Delta 3925 vehicle from VAFB (Vandenberg Air Force Base), CA. under the Landsat program. Landsat 4 and 5 were placed into sun-synchronous near-circular orbit at an altitude of 705 km, inclination of 98.2º, and repeat cycle of 16 days. The satellite’s local equatorial crossing time is between 9:30 and 10:00 hours on a descending node. The MSS instrument swath width remains the same as before by increasing the FOV (Field of View) of the sensors from 11.56º to 14.92º.

In October 2007, two batteries went down and satellite operation was suspended for four months. In March 2008, operation was resumed with additional restrictions. It represented a full copy of the Landsat 4 satellite with the same tools – a Thematic Mapper (TM) and a Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS).

The acquisition of Landsat 5 MSS data over the US ceased in 1992, and global acquisitions ended in 1999. Limited acquisitions were made from June 2012 through January 2013.

Landsat 5 (MSS) Characteristics
Characteristic	Description
Participants	NASA NOAA EOSAT DOI USGS GE
Launch Date	March 1, 1984
Vehicle	Delta 3920
Site	Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Spacecraft	3-axis stabilized, zero momentum with control of 0.01 deg using reaction wheels Aluminum with graphite struts Hydrazine propulsion system Single solar array with 1-axis articulation Three Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries provide 100 Ampere-Hour (AHr ) total Retractable boom (4 m long) with 2 powered joints supports the articulated High Gain Antenna, which downlinked data via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Communications system uses S,X,L, and Ku Bands Weight: approximately 4,800 lbs (2,200 kg)
Communications	Direct downlink with TDRSS Data rate: 85 Mbps Quantization: 8 bit (256 levels)
Orbit	Worldwide References System-2 (WRS-2) path/row system Circular, sun-synchronous, near-polar orbit at an altitude of 705 km (438 mi) Inclined at 98.2° Circled the Earth every 99 minutes Repeat cycle: 16 days Swath width: 185 km (115 mi) Equatorial crossing time: 9:45 a.m. +/- 15 minutes
Sensors	Multispectral Scanner (MSS) Thematic Mapper (TM)
Scene size	170 km x 185 km (106 mi x 115 mi)
Design life	Minumum of 3 years

Landsat 5 (MSS) Bands
Sensor	Band number	Band name	Wavelength (μm)	Resolution (m)	Band Applications
MSS	Band number1	Band nameVisible Green	Wavelength (μm)0.5 – 0.6	Resolution (m)60	Band ApplicationsSediment-laden water, delineates areas of shallow water
MSS	Band number2	Band nameVisible Red	Wavelength (μm)0.6 – 0.7	Resolution (m)60	Band ApplicationsCultural features
MSS	Band number3	Band nameNIR	Wavelength (μm)0.7 – 0.8	Resolution (m)60	Band ApplicationsVegetation boundary between land and water, and landforms
MSS	Band number4	Band nameNIR	Wavelength (μm)0.8 – 1.1	Resolution (m)60	Band ApplicationsPenetrates atmospheric haze best, emphasizes vegetation, boundary between land and water, and landforms

Landsat 5 (MSS)

Ready?