Updated
Updated · USGS (.gov) · Jun 24
GE Lab Created 1976 U.S. Photomosaic From 569 Landsat Images
Updated
Updated · USGS (.gov) · Jun 24

GE Lab Created 1976 U.S. Photomosaic From 569 Landsat Images

1 articles · Updated · USGS (.gov) · Jun 24

Summary

  • General Electric’s Beltsville Photographic Engineering Laboratory assembled a 1976 photomosaic of the contiguous United States from 569 nearly cloud-free false-color infrared images.
  • Some 30,000 Landsat 1 and 2 images were reviewed to find the clearest frames, showing the scale of image selection behind the mosaic.
  • NASA credits the work as a public-domain "Portrait U.S.A." image, documenting an early nationwide satellite composite built from Landsat data.

Insights

How did 1970s public satellite views of America compare to the top-secret, high-resolution imagery captured by military spy satellites?
Beyond the Great Salt Lake, what other dramatic changes do 50 years of Landsat portraits reveal about the U.S. landscape?
What new planetary secrets will the next-generation Landsat 10 satellite's 'superspectral' vision be able to unlock?