Landsat 9 is a satellite that images Earth's land in visible, infrared and thermal light.
nasa-landsat-9 Landsat 9 continues a 50-year series of satellite images of Earth's land. Northrop Grumman designed and built the spacecraft for NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS). The images are used to monitor agriculture, water and land use, and they are free through USGS.
The satellite has two instruments. OLI-2 uses silicon detectors for visible and near-infrared light and mercury-cadmium-telluride detectors for shortwave infrared. TIRS-2 picks up thermal light with quantum well detectors, which a two-stage cooler holds at 43 kelvin.
Earth-observation satellite that continues the 50-year Landsat record of land imagery. It images the land in visible, infrared and thermal bands for agriculture, water and land-use monitoring. Data are free through USGS.
OLI-2 has a four-mirror telescope and a focal plane of 14 sensor chip assemblies. Silicon PIN detectors cover visible and near-infrared light, and mercury-cadmium-telluride detectors cover shortwave infrared. In all, 70,672 operating detectors must be calibrated.
TIRS-2 focuses thermal radiation through a telescope of four lens elements onto three arrays of quantum well detectors. A two-stage mechanical cryocooler keeps the focal plane at 43 K. Two radiators handle the heat: one for the cooler, the other holding the telescope at 185 K.
The instruments sit on an optical bench at the forward end of the spacecraft. A deployable sun-tracking solar array charges a 125 amp-hour nickel-hydrogen battery. A solid-state recorder stores 3.14 terabits of data until it is sent down by X-band radio.
The hydrazine propulsion module has rocket engine modules, with thrusters, mounted around its outside. An inner ring supports the propellant tank, and an outer ring is the launch vehicle adapter. The design life is five years, but the satellite carries fuel for up to ten.
The detectors in OLI-2 that sense visible and near-infrared light.
The detectors in OLI-2 that sense shortwave infrared light.
The 125 amp-hour battery that the solar array charges.
An Atlas V 401 launched Landsat 9 from Vandenberg on 27 September 2021, with CubeSats riding on an adapter ring beneath it. The booster's RD-180 engine comes from NPO Energomash, and the Centaur upper stage's RL10C-1 from Aerojet Rocketdyne. Northrop Grumman built the spacecraft on the LEOStar-3 platform it also used for Landsat 8. Ball Aerospace built OLI-2, a copy of Landsat 8's imager, and NASA Goddard built TIRS-2.
secondary-payload adapter ring flown under Landsat 9
United Launch Alliance
launched 27 September 2021 from Space Launch Complex-3, Vandenberg, with the Landsat 9 ESPA Flight System rideshare
bus design extensively leverages Landsat 8; OLI-2 is a copy of Landsat 8's OLI; the two satellites work as a pair
component heritage on the bus
flight-proven platform shared with Landsat 8
fabricates the RD-180 that powers the Atlas V booster
fabricates the RL10C-1 on Centaur (West Palm Beach)
designed, manufactured and tested the spacecraft and integrated both instruments
built OLI-2 and the TIRS-2 cryocooler
built TIRS-2
developed the Mission Operations Center
operates the mission after commissioning; ground system at EROS
NASA
nickel-hydrogen. Here: Nickel-hydrogen battery (125 Ah). There: Batteries (6).
silicon PIN. Here: Visible and near-infrared detectors. There: Solar cells (original arrays); Coarse Sun Sensors.
NASA
mercury-cadmium-telluride. Here: Shortwave infrared detectors. There: Near-infrared H2RG detectors (HgCdTe).
silicon PIN. Here: Visible and near-infrared detectors. There: Silicon readout integrated circuit (ROIC).
The makers name the detector materials but little else. They do not say what the spacecraft body, panels and tanks are made of, which solar cells the array uses, or what the mirrors and lenses in the two instruments are made from. The semiconductor in the thermal detectors is also not named.
What is written above is built from these numbers and quotes. Each row links to the page it was taken from. Get all of it as JSON, or ask our MCP server.
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Launch | 27 September 2021, Atlas V 401 |
| Mass | 5,975 lb (2,710 kg) |
| Size at launch | 4.6 m tall, 3 m deep, 3 m long |
| Orbit altitude | 705 km (438 mi) |
| Design life | 5 years, with 10 years of consumables |
| Spacecraft without instruments | about 3 m high, 2.4 x 2.4 m across, 2071 kg fully fuelled |
| OLI-2 operating detectors | 70,672 |
| TIRS-2 focal plane temperature | 43 K focal plane; 185 K telescope |
| Orbit | 705 km sun-synchronous, 98.9-minute period, 16-day repeat, 10:00 a.m. descending node |
| Daily scenes | up to 750 OLI-2 and TIRS-2 scenes |
| Fairing | 14 ft (4 m) extra extended payload fairing, aluminum skin/stringer; 194 ft launch stack |
| Atlas V booster thrust | 860,200 lb at sea level (RD-180) |
| Launch time | 27 September 2021, 11:12 a.m. PDT, Space Launch Complex-3 |
| Design life and consumables | 5 years design life, 10 years of fuel |
Each material named in the sources: where it is used here, which other products use it, and its key numbers when its material page exists.
Used in 1 partShortwave infrared detectors
Used in 1 partNickel-hydrogen battery (125 Ah)
Used in 1 partVisible and near-infrared detectors
Only instrument detector materials are stated; the bus and structure materials are not published on the pages found. Components, suppliers and links were added from public sources. A material is left blank where no source states it.
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible and near-infrared detectors“The visible and near-infrared detectors are made from Silicon PIN (SiPIN).” | silicon PINsilicon | — | OLI-2 (Ball Aerospace) |
| Shortwave infrared detectors“The shortwave infrared detectors are made from Mercury–Cadmium–Telluride (HgCdTe).” | mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe)mercury-cadmium-telluride | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal detectors“TIRS employs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIPs) to detect long wavelengths of light” | Not said | — | NASA Goddard |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical subsystem: primary structure and deployable mechanismscarries every bus component except the propulsion module“The spacecraft consists of the mechanical subsystem (primary structure and deployable mechanisms)” | Not said | — | Supplier: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Gilbert, Arizona |
| Instrument optical benchforward-end bench that carries OLI-2 and TIRS-2“The sensors are mounted on an optical bench at the forward end of the spacecraft.” | Not said | — | — |
| Command and data handling subsystembus computer and data handling (hardware not described on the pages read)“command and data handling subsystem, attitude control subsystem, electrical power subsystem” | Not said | — | — |
| Solid-state data recorder (SSR)stores OLI-2 and TIRS-2 data before downlink; 3.14 terabits“A 3.14-terabit solid-state data recorder provides data storage aboard the spacecraft” | Not said | — | — |
| Star trackers (primary and redundant)absolute attitude sensors; the navigation frame follows the tracker in use“the attitude control sensors (star trackers and SIRU)” | Not said | — | — |
| Space Inertial Reference Unit (SIRU)gyro-based inertial reference for the attitude control subsystem“the attitude control sensors (star trackers and SIRU)” | Not said | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployable sun-tracking solar array (9 x 0.4 m)single deployable array that tracks the Sun and charges the battery“A 9×0.4 m deployable sun-tracking solar array generates power that charges the spacecraft’s 125 amp-hour nickel–hydrogen (Ni–H2) battery.” | Not said | — | — |
| Nickel-hydrogen battery (125 Ah)stores array power for eclipse and peak loads“the spacecraft’s 125 amp-hour nickel–hydrogen (Ni–H2) battery” | nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H2) cellsnickel-hydrogen-cell | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth-coverage X-band antennadownlinks science data in real time or from the recorder“an Earth-coverage X-Band antenna transmits data from the sensors either in real time or played back from the data recorder” | Not said | — | — |
| S-band command and telemetry linkS-band is used for commanding and housekeeping telemetry“S-Band is used for commanding and housekeeping telemetry operations.” | Not said | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrazine propulsion subsystem (propulsion module)orbit adjustment and maintenance; fuel for at least 10 years“hydrazine propulsion subsystem, and thermal control subsystem” | Not said | — | — |
| Rocket engine modules (REMs) with thrustersthruster modules mounted around the outside of the propellant tank support ring“REMs/thrusters mounted around the outside of that.” | Not said | — | — |
| Propellant tank support ringinner ring of the propulsion module; the launch vehicle adapter is the outer ring“Inner ring is prop tank support ring.” | Not said | — | — |
| Launch vehicle adapter (LVA)outer ring that joins the spacecraft to the launcher“Outer ring is LVA.” | Not said | — | — |
| ESPA ring (Landsat 9 ESPA Flight System)adapter ring that deploys rideshare CubeSats after Landsat 9 separation“this mission includes the Landsat 9 ESPA Flight System (EFS) which will deploy multiple CubeSats after Landsat 9 separation” | Not said | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal control subsystembus thermal control (hardware not described on the pages read)“hydrazine propulsion subsystem, and thermal control subsystem” | Not said | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| OLI-2 four-mirror anastigmat telescopefocuses light on the focal plane with a 15-degree field of view over the 185 km swath“The OLI-2 is a push-broom sensor that employs a four-mirror anastigmatic telescope” | Not said | — | Supplier: Ball Aerospace & Technologies |
| OLI-2 focal plane (14 sensor chip assemblies)14 focal plane modules with filters in a butcher-block arrangement; detector materials are in the entry bom“the 14 SCAs, also known as Focal Plane Modules (FPMs), on the OLI-2 focal plane” | Not said | — | Supplier: Ball Aerospace & Technologies |
| OLI-2 Earth-view baffle and shutter wheel assemblybaffle and wheel in front of the aperture stop; light enters through a hole in the wheel“There is a shutter wheel assembly between the Earth-view baffle and the aperture stop.” | Not said | — | — |
| OLI-2 solar-view baffle and diffuser paneldiffuser reflects sunlight into the telescope for calibration“The solar-view baffle is occasionally pointed at the sun so that a diffuser panel can reflect solar illumination into the telescope for calibration purposes.” | Not said | — | — |
| OLI-2 stimulation lamp assembliestwo lamp assemblies in an integrating hemisphere illuminate the focal plane with the shutter closed“Two lamp assemblies, with six small lamps each, inside an integrating hemisphere can illuminate the full OLI focal plane” | Not said | — | — |
| OLI-2 Focal Plane Electronics and support electronicsread the focal plane and support the instrument“includes an optical telescope, Focal Plane Array/Focal Plane Electronics (FPA/FPE), calibration hardware, and instrument support electronics” | Not said | — | — |
| Part | Material | Finish and standard | Made by |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRS-2 four-element refractive telescopefocuses an f/1.64 beam on the cryogenic focal plane with a 15-degree field of view“The TIRS instrument uses a four-element refractive telescope that focuses an f/1.64 beam of thermal radiation onto a cryogenically cooled focal plane” | Not said | — | Supplier: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
| TIRS-2 scene select mirrorpoints the telescope between Earth, space and calibration views; position encoder improved after Landsat 8“improvements were made to the position encoder for the Scene Select Mirror (SSM)” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 QWIP focal plane (three arrays)quantum well infrared photodetectors; each SCA is a 640 by 512 grid“Each TIRS-2 SCA consists of a 640-column by 512-row grid of QWIP detectors.” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 spectral interference filters (two)pass 10.6-11.2 um or 11.5-12.5 um to the detectors“first pass through one of two spectral interference filters” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 two-stage mechanical cryocoolerholds the focal plane at 43 K“A critical component is the two-stage mechanical cryocooler that maintains the focal plane at the required 43 K operating temperature” | Not said | — | Supplier: Ball Aerospace (cryocooler, per NASA IGARSS slide) |
| TIRS-2 cryocooler radiator and telescope radiatortwo radiators: one dumps cryocooler heat, one holds the telescope temperature“One dissipates heat from the cryocooler and the other passively maintains a constant TIRS telescope temperature.” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 blackbody and deep-space viewonboard calibration references“as well as a blackbody and deep space view for internal calibration” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 Earth shield (deployable)4-foot (1.2 m) shield deployed after launch“Once in orbit, a deployable 32-foot (9.8-meter) solar panel and 4-foot (1.2-meter) Earth shield add to length.” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 Focal Plane Electronics (FPE)readout electronics for the thermal focal plane“Focal Plane Electronics (FPE), as well as a blackbody and deep space view for internal calibration” | Not said | — | — |
| TIRS-2 focal plane array layout (three sensor chip assemblies)holds the QWIP detectors (the detector row is in the entry bom); each SCA is a 640 by 512 grid“Each TIRS-2 SCA consists of a 640-column by 512-row grid of QWIP detectors.” | Not said | — | — |
Spacecraft bus structure, panels, solar array cells, thermal blankets, radiators, propellant and tank materials are not stated on the NASA or Northrop Grumman pages read; no primary materials list was found. TIRS-2 QWIP semiconductor (GaAs reported elsewhere) and telescope optics materials were not confirmed on a page read. A NASA review slide mentions a graphite-epoxy material change but without detail, so it is not used. More detail: Not published on the pages read: the bus structure material and panel construction, solar cell type and array maker, battery maker, star tracker, SIRU, reaction wheel and thruster makers and counts, propellant tank material, transmitter and antenna makers, thermal blanket and radiator coatings, OLI-2 mirror and substrate materials, TIRS-2 lens materials and the QWIP semiconductor. The handbook gives the Ni-H2 battery and 3.14 Tb recorder; NASA gives no detail on the command and data handling or thermal hardware. Landsat 9 has no spacecraft engine in the catalog; its hydrazine thruster count is not stated on the pages read. Atlas V engines (RD-180, RL10C-1) are launch-vehicle engines, not spacecraft engines. More detail: Not published on the pages read: the bus structure material and panel construction, solar cell type and array maker, battery maker, star tracker, SIRU, reaction wheel and thruster makers and counts, propellant tank material, transmitter and antenna makers, thermal blanket and radiator coatings, OLI-2 mirror and substrate materials, TIRS-2 lens materials and the QWIP semiconductor. The handbook gives the Ni-H2 battery and 3.14 Tb recorder; NASA gives no detail on the command and data handling or thermal hardware. Landsat 9 has no spacecraft engine in the catalog; its hydrazine thruster count is not stated on the pages read. Atlas V engines (RD-180, RL10C-1) are launch-vehicle engines, not spacecraft engines.
Maker credit: NASA / USGS (spacecraft by Northrop Grumman). Collected from public pages and documents, checked 4 Nov 2026.
Published · Updated
