Raytheon, a subsidiary of RTX Corp. (RTX), announced on Thursday a significant achievement: securing a $506 million contract from NASA to design and build the Landsat Next Instrument Suite (LandIS). This suite comprises three advanced space instruments, with the potential addition of a fourth.
The LandIS will facilitate Earth observation from three identical satellites in Low-Earth orbit. These instruments are capable of capturing multispectral images of the Earth's surface every six days, which will help monitor both natural and human-induced changes.
The data collected by the Landsat Next mission, enhanced by the LandIS sensors, will be instrumental in providing critical insights into land use, agricultural productivity, weather patterns, and natural resource management. The delivery of the first LandIS sensor is anticipated in 2028, with work to be conducted in El Segundo, California.
These next-generation instruments aim to detect patterns previously overlooked due to limitations in the timing of data collection or image resolution. This will enhance the ability of various agencies to respond effectively to natural disasters, human migration, and environmental crises.
Raytheon has a longstanding history with the Landsat mission, beginning with the construction of the Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) in 1972 and subsequently developing the instruments for Landsat missions 2 through 7.