[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 721 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 721

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural launch of the Landsat 
 series of Earth Observation satellites, a joint mission of the United 
    States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space 
                            Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 2022

  Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Thune, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Rounds) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural launch of the Landsat 
 series of Earth Observation satellites, a joint mission of the United 
    States Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space 
                            Administration.

Whereas, on July 23, 2022, the United States Geological Survey (referred to in 
        this preamble as ``USGS'') and the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration (referred to in this preamble as ``NASA'') celebrate the 
        50th anniversary of the launch of the Landsat series of Earth 
        Observation satellites (commonly known as the ``Landsat program'');
Whereas, through satellite remote sensing, which in 1972 constituted a new 
        scientific instrument, the Landsat program introduced a powerful tool 
        for humankind to observe the resources of Earth and the long-term 
        changes in the condition of the land surfaces of Earth;
Whereas, as the first civilian program in the United States for the systematic 
        observation of the land surfaces of Earth, the Landsat program has 
        exemplified the highest ideals of the United Nations Committee on the 
        Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, while helping to position the United 
        States as a global leader in the field of satellite remote sensing;
Whereas data and imagery of Earth produced by the Landsat program have been used 
        for 50 years in the United States and around the world--

    (1) to analyze crop conditions, soil moisture, and global crop 
production;

    (2) to forecast the needs of the world to ensure food security;

    (3) to monitor water consumption;

    (4) to facilitate emergency responses to and post-event analyses of 
natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tsunamis, 
hurricanes, and wildfires;

    (5) to monitor forests and changing land-use patterns;

    (6) to track receding glaciers and changes in sea-ice extent; and

    (7) to survey urban growth;

Whereas data and imagery produced by the Landsat program have been applied by--

    (1) many Federal, State, and local agencies, particularly agencies 
within the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture; 
and

    (2) the governing bodies of Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives to solve 
difficult and expensive problems for their members at minimum cost to the 
taxpayers of the United States;

Whereas, since 2008, calibrated on-board data and imagery produced by the 
        Landsat program have been made globally available at no cost to the 
        public, greatly amplifying the use of such data and imagery, expanding 
        growing markets for commercial remote sensing data and analysis, 
        providing the foundation for commercial innovations in land remote 
        sensing, and serving as a trusted reference for the calibration of 
        instruments and improvement of commercial data products;
Whereas data produced by the Landsat program has been estimated to provide 
        billions of dollars in value to the economy of the United States each 
        year;
Whereas 50 years of continuous Landsat observations--

    (1) supply the world with impartial, fundamental evidence to support a 
scientific understanding of a changing global climate; and

    (2) form the basis for thousands of peer-reviewed, scientific 
publications that have documented changes in the land surface of Earth;

Whereas data produced by the Landsat program provide an invaluable common 
        vocabulary and a shared set of references for the state of Earth that 
        can inform international, Federal, and local efforts to address 
        difficult environmental and public policy issues;
Whereas USGS and NASA are currently developing mission concepts for Landsat 
        Next, the follow-on mission to Landsat 9;
Whereas Landsat 9 and the Sustainable Land Imaging program will build on and 
        strengthen this key resource of the United States to provide a 
        sustainable, space-based system to extend and improve the 50-year series 
        of science-quality, global land imaging measurements produced by the 
        Landsat program--the longest time series of the land surface of Earth; 
        and
Whereas, during July 2022, USGS, NASA, scientists, engineers, land managers, and 
        the people of the United States will celebrate 50 years since the launch 
        of the first Earth-observing satellite of the Landsat program: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the inaugural launch 
        of the Landsat series of Earth Observation satellites (commonly 
        known as the ``Landsat program'');
            (2) recognizes the scientific, engineering, and analytical 
        expertise of the United States Geological Survey (referred to 
        in this resolution as ``USGS''), the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration (referred to in this resolution as 
        ``NASA''), and the advisory Landsat Science Team;
            (3) recognizes the important contributions that data 
        produced by the Landsat program provides to decision-makers 
        worldwide and the desire to continue the Landsat program into 
        the next 50 years through Landsat Next;
            (4) designates July 23, 2022, as ``Landsat 50th Anniversary 
        Day'', or ``Landsaturday''; and
            (5) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
        transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Director of 
        USGS and the Administrator of NASA.
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