Australia Commits $207 Million to New Earth Observation Satellite Program

Australia has renewed its nearly 50-year partnership in the Landsat program, committing $207.4 million over four years and ongoing funding. The money will be spent on enhancing satellite ground station facilities in the central Australian town of Alice Springs, and supporting advanced new data processing and analytics capabilities. The opportunity arose through the Landsat 2030 International Partnership Initiative, announced during the December 2023 U.S. National Space Council meeting. There have been nine Landsat satellites since 1972, of which eight are operational today. Landsat Next will add three more with new capabilities. As a result, partner countries will get more data more often, and at a higher resolution....