[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    SENATE RESOLUTION 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

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

                              S. Res. 721

       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;7
       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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