Ball Aerospace delivered the Operational Land Imager 2 for Landsat 9. in September 2019. Photo: Ball Aerospace

NASA has selected Ball Aerospace for two studies that will look at instrument architectures and designs for the next generation of Landsat. The Landsat program is a joint program between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The studies are part of the Landsat ext architecture series and will explore constellation satellite concept and single satellite concept. 

NASA is currently preparing for the launch of Landsat 9 in September with United Launch Alliance. This satellite will replace Landsat 7 and join its sister satellite, Landsat 8 to collect data of the planet. Ball Aerospace built the imaging sensor Operational Land Imager for both Landsat 8 and 9. 

As part of the two studies announced Monday, Ball will examine instrument architectures that extend the OLI and Reduced Envelope Multispectral Imager (REMI) instrument designs to address new spectral bands, improved spatial resolution and new orbit parameters. 

“Users around the world rely on the continuity and reliability of the Landsat Program and Ball Aerospace has demonstrated technical reliability and business continuity over our more than six decades of experience providing leading-edge systems and instruments to monitor Earth’s environment,” said Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, vice president and general manager of Civil Space at Ball Aerospace.