NASA engineers have begun building hardware for a new Landsat satellite instrument that helps monitor water consumption — an important capability in the U.S. West where precipitation is sparse and water rights are allocated. The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is one of two instruments flying on the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), the next generation in a series of satellites that have provided multispectral data of Earth’s surface for more than 38 years. NASA plans to launch LDCM in December 2012 as the follow-on to Landsat-7, launched in 1999. Read More
