Aging Landsat satellite may be failing
Posted: Tue, Nov 22, 2011, 6:44 AM ET (1144 GMT)
A 27-year-old Earth observation satellite may be on the brink of failure after a recent malfunction, the US Geological Survey reports. The Landsat 5 satellite stopped acquiring images recently because of a "rapidly degrading electronic component", the USGS said. The satellite, launched in 1984, was originally designed to last only three years, but has been in operation for 27. The aging Landsat 5 satellite and problems with the Landsat 7 satellite, launched in 1999, have raised concerns about a potential gap in Earth sciences imagery. A new Landsat satellite is scheduled for launch in early 2013.
A 27-year-old Earth observation satellite may be on the brink of failure after a recent malfunction, the US Geological Survey reports. The Landsat 5 satellite stopped acquiring images recently because of a "rapidly degrading electronic component", the USGS said. The satellite, launched in 1984, was originally designed to last only three years, but has been in operation for 27. The aging Landsat 5 satellite and problems with the Landsat 7 satellite, launched in 1999, have raised concerns about a potential gap in Earth sciences imagery. A new Landsat satellite is scheduled for launch in early 2013.
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