The Landsat-6 satellite: an overview

A brief background description of the Landsat remote sensing system is provided. The top-level mission requirements of Landsat 6, which will be launched into a 705-km, circular, Sun-synchronous orbit by a Titan-II booster in mid-1992, are reviewed to identify those that motivate the sensor and spacecraft bus design, highlighting the L6-era combined EOSAT ground/space system configuration. The design and operation of the Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) sensor, which includes a Panchromatic (PAN) band with 15-meter spatial resolution, and the major spacecraft bus subsystems are described in detail.<
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