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The map below shows the locations of all active ground stations operated by our US and International Cooperator (IC) ground station network for the direct downlink and distribution of Landsat 7 (L7) data. The circles show the approximate area over which each station has the capability for direct reception of Landsat data.
In addition to the ground stations displayed on this page, many stations have received Landsat data in the past. The Historical International Ground Stations page displays these ground stations, and lists the approximate date ranges of the Landsat data collected.
Figure 1. Active Landsat Ground Stations
| International Cooperator (Country) |
International Cooperator (Organization) |
Ground Station Location | Ground Station ID |
Landsat 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina |
Cordoba, Argentina |
COA |
x |
|
Australia |
Alice Springs, Australia |
ASA, ASN |
x |
|
Darwin, Australia |
DWA |
x |
||
Hobart, Australia |
HOA |
|||
Brazil |
Cuiaba, Brazil |
CUB |
x |
|
Canada |
Gatineau, Canada |
GNC |
|
|
Prince Albert, Canada |
PAC |
|
||
China |
Beijing, China |
BJC |
|
|
KaShi, China |
KHC |
|
||
Ecuador |
Cotopaxi, Ecuador |
CPE |
|
|
European Space Agency |
Matera, Italy |
MTI |
|
|
Kiruna, Sweden |
KIS |
|
||
Maspalomas, Spain |
MPS |
|
||
Germany |
Neustrelitz, Germany |
NSG |
|
|
Indonesia |
Parepare, Indonesia |
DKI |
x |
|
Italy |
University of Rome |
Malindi, Kenya |
MLK |
|
Japan |
Hatoyama, Japan |
HAJ |
|
|
Japan |
Hiroshima, Japan |
HIJ |
|
|
Mexico |
Chetumal, Mexico |
CHM |
|
|
Russia |
Irkutsk, Russia |
IKR |
|
|
Magadan, Russia |
MGR |
|
||
Moscow, Russia |
MOR |
|
||
South Africa |
Hartebeesthoek, S.A. |
JSA |
x |
|
Thailand |
Bangkok, Thailand |
BKT |
|
Organizations interested in pursuing direct access to L7 via data downlink should contact the Landsat Project Manager.
Ground Station Location |
Ground Station ID |
Landsat 7 |
Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
LGS |
x |
Alice Springs, Australia |
ASA |
x |
Alice Springs, Australia |
ASN |
x |
Gilmore Creek, Alaska |
GLC |
|
Svalbard, Norway |
SGS |
x |
Poker Flats, Alaska |
PFS |
x |
Table 2. The table above provides a list of the Landsat receiving stations that routinely collect Landsat data for the US ground network.
Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE)
The Teofilo Tabanera Space Center, located 30 km southwest of Cordoba City, houses the following installations:
Cordoba Ground Station: Responsible for the tracking Telemetry, Telecommand and Control (TT&C) of the Argentine satellites as well as international ones with which agreements for this service are accorded. It is also responsible for the ingestion, cataloging and archiving of satellite data products. Additional responsibilities include performing the regular reception of data from the entire national territory, its continental platform and the neighboring countries.
Mission Control Center: Responsible for planning, commands elaboration and monitoring the Argentine satellites, SAC-C and SAC-D.
Testing and Integration Facilities: In charge of integrating domestic satellites and running environmental and qualification tests.
Institute for Advanced Space Studies Mario Gulich: For the promotion of advanced knowledge and innovative use of space information; it also aims at developing highly skilled human resources. The key objectives are to generate advanced knowledge and develop innovative use of space information, as well as to form highly skilled human resources focused on the support and development of Argentine Space Information Cycles. It is established as a joint project between CONAE and Cordoba National University.
Web Address: E-mail Address:
The National Earth Observation Group is part of the Environmental Geoscience Division of Geoscience Australia, Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.
The goal of Geoscience Australia's remote sensing program is to maintain and periodically refresh a comprehensive archive of Earth observation data over Australia to help ensure that fundamental geographic information is available for the benefit of the Australian community and to service government needs. Its primary functions are to acquire, catalogue, archive, process, and distribute remotely sensed data acquired from Earth observation satellites for both scientific and operational applications.
Geoscience Australia operates two remote sensing facilities - the Data Acquisition Facility (DAF) in Alice Springs and the Data Processing Facility (DPF) in Canberra. Data over the entire Australian landmass, most of Papua New Guinea, and Eastern Indonesia are recorded, archived and catalogued at Alice Springs. Tape copies of these data are transferred daily to Canberra, where they are available for processing. A high speed data link exists between Alice Springs and Canberra for on-demand near real-time needs.
Geoscience Australia is a member of the Tasmanian Earth Resources Satellite Station consortium (TERSS), which operates a receiving station at Hobart, Tasmania. Geoscience Australia provides satellite scheduling, data archiving, data cataloguing, and product generation services for the consortium. TERSS can acquire data over south-east Australia, New Zealand and a small part of Antarctica as well as a large expanse of the Southern Ocean.
Geoscience Australia offers a range of remote sensing products and services to suit various data analysis applications.
Web Addresses:
INPE - National Institute for Space Research
General Coordination of Earth Observation (OBT)
Image Generation Division (DGI)
DGI - Image Generation Division is responsible for the reception, processing and distribution of the images acquired by the CBERS, LANDSAT, RESOURCESAT, ENVISAT, AQUA and TERRA remote sensing satellites.
Goals:
I - Process, store and disseminate, in an operational way, satellite data and earth observation images.
II – Maintain and improve the systems and equipment for processing of Earth observation satellite data;
III – Establish relationships with Earth observing satellite operators, public or private, guaranteeing data availability for the country’s interest;
IV – Guarantee the reception and generation of Earth observing satellite images of the Brazilian Space Program and establish procedures to ensure a wider dissemination of these images;
V. Actively collaborate with Brazilian companies to develop national technical capabilities in satellite data reception and processing;
VI – Maintain, update and ensure broad accessibility of the Remote Sensing Data Center, which houses all of the remote sensing imagery received by INPE, for the national community.
Web Address: E-mail Addresses:
The Canada Centre for Remote Sensing of Natural Resources Canada (CCRS) operates a remote sensing program coordinated under the Earth Sciences Sector in co-operation with other agencies of the Government of Canada, provincial governments, industry, and Canadian universities. CCRS is responsible for the acquisition and archiving of Earth observation data and for the development of remote sensing applications and related methodologies and systems. CCRS is located in Ottawa and maintains satellite data receiving stations in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and Gatineau, Quebec.
CCRS has been receiving, archiving and distributing LANDSAT data since 1972.The archive catalogue is available on-line and is interoperable with the USGS catalogue. The catalogue of CCRS LANDSAT and other Earth Observation mission data is available at http://ceocat.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca/portal/index.html
CCRS engages the private sector in the processing and distribution LANDSAT data products and value-added products and services. This presently includes MDA Geospatial Services (http://www.mdacorporation.com/corporate/index.cfm).
CCRS distributes MSS data directly to users.
Web Address:
The Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),was established on August 23, 2007 through merging three CAS units: the Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station (RSGS), the Center for Airborne Remote Sensing, and the Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences. As an institution noted for combination of both scientific research and professional operation services, CEODE is committed to: operation of spaceborne and airborne earth observation system and related data services, as well as the exploration of technologies for earth observation and their application demonstrations.
CEODE is made up of four components: the Satellite Remote Sensing Center, the Airborne Remote Sensing Center, the Spatial Data Center, and the Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences. Meanwhile, policy-making and supporting departments have also been set up to facilitate the operational activities within the center, such as those in charge of research collaboration, and academic support and consultation.
Satellite Remote Sensing Center
The center is devoted to receiving, archiving and processing remote sensing data acquired from both Chinese and international satellites, and developing the technologies for upgrading the service and operation capacities of its ground systems.
Airborne Remote Sensing Center
The Airborne Remote Sensing Center is devoted to the acquisition, processing and storage of high-quality airborne remote sensing data as well as the development of technologies for their operational capacity improvement.
Spatial Data Center
The Center is to construct a platform capable of carrying out comprehensive processing, distribution and archiving of airborne and spaceborne data and to offer user-oriented services.
Laboratory of Digital Earth Sciences
As a comprehensive research department, the laboratory focuses on the theoretical research of geospatial information science, technological studies of remote sensing, development of a scientific platform for Digital Earth and its nation- and world-wide applications in “hot-spot” regions and fields.
There are three receiving stations belonging to CEODE, MiYun Station(BJC, Beijing), KaShi Station(KHC), and SanYa Station(SNC, in construction). The satellite missions being received now are as following: LANDSAT-5, SPOT-2/4/5, RADARSAT-1/2, ENVISAT-1, RESOURCESAT-1, ERS-2, as well as CBERS-2B and HJ-1A/1B.
Web Address: Data Catalog: Email address (User Services):
The Ecuadorian Center for Remote Sensing (CLIRSEN) operates the Cotopaxi ground station. The 10 meter antenna has received signals in X-band (8040 - 8400 MHz) of the Landsat TM, SPOT HRV, ERS SAR and SAC-C satellites. It has a large historical archive (since 1990) available to internal and external users.
Historical Data:
Current Data Acquisition:
Location: Ecuador, Provincia del Cotopaxi, Cantón Latacunga, Parroquia Pastocalle, Páramo de Romerillos, 00° 37’ 20” S, 78° 34’42” W.
Web Addresses: E-mail Address: Phones:
European Space Agency (ESA) European Space Research INstitute (ESRIN)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has three stations that have capabilities to acquire Landsat data:
ESRIN, known as the ESA Centre for Earth Observation, is the ESA establishment responsible for managing the operation and exploitation of ESA's Earth Observation satellites. In cooperation with other space agencies, it also manages the acquisition, distribution and exploitation of data from non-ESA satellites.
In carrying out this work, ESA's Earth Observation Directorate works closely with national space agencies, both in ESA Member States and worldwide, as well as with coordination and standardisation bodies. It also cooperates with many small-and medium-sized enterprises, and with the service industry.
Data from the many instruments on board ESA satellites (Ers2, Envisat, Proba, Smos, Goce, Cryosat) are acquired and processed at the ESA EO 14 facilities in Europe and Canada and then distributed to a worldwide user community that includes several thousand scientists, value companies or application centres. Similar operations are performed for more than 20 non-ESA Earth Observation active and non active satellites like Modis, Noaa, Spot, Scisat, Odin, Kompsat-2, etc. For the Ers-2, Envisat, Cryosat, Goce and Smos missions ESRIN manages and schedules the satellites' payload data transmission links to a network of worldwide acquisition stations.
Instrument performance and product quality are permanently checked and new products developed in response to evolving user demand. Responsibility for ensuring this is done quickly and efficiently lies with those working in Earth Observation at ESRIN.
Web Addresses:
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German Aerospace Center (DLR) German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) National Ground Segment |
The National Ground Segment Neustrelitz - a department of DLR’s German Remote Sensing Data Center - can look back on a long-time history of research. It emerged 1992 from the Satellite Ground Station of the Institute for Cosmos Research of the German Academy of Sciences of the GDR, which has been built and operated at this location since 1968. Most of employees of DLR facility work in the research and development domain. Existing fields of activity have been continually developed throughout the almost 40 years of the ground segments existence. The ranges of tasks include the following:
Due to the governing of the complete chain starting with data acquisition, over data processing, to the point of data delivery, the user can quickly access system-adjusted, high-quality, homogenized data sets with high information content and facile access procedures. The ground segment is currently involved in more than 10 national und international missions, amongst others as receiving antennae of ESA Earthnet for European remote sensing missions. The ground segment therefore cooperates closely with a multitude of scientific and commercial partners and authorities.
Satellite data receiving systems
Indonesia's National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) is part of the Remote Sensing Affairs agency. There are centers operated by LAPAN: the Remote Sensing Data Center and the Remote Sensing Application and Technology Development Center. These two centers provide the following services related to remote sensing:
The ground station operated by LAPAN currently receives the following datasets:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) established the Earth Observation Center (EOC) at Hatoyama to develop satellite remote sensing technology. EOC archives the following types of satellite data and processes these data for a variety of applications and research:
EOC distributes data in the form of DVD. To make maximum use of the data, JAXA has set up the Earth Observation and Information System (EOIS).
Web Addresses:
The Research Center for Advanced Earth Environmental Information at Hiroshima Institute of Technology is selected for a promotion foothold in the academic frontier project for a private university by the Ministry of Education. It is established within the Graduate Schools of Environmental Information Studies and of Engineering in cooperation with research organizations in Japan and overseas.
Web Address: Data Catalog: |
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The ERIS (Estación de Recepción de Imágenes de Satélite) station in Chetumal/Mexico is a joint bilateral project between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) and a Mexican consortium consisting of the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), the National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT), the Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI). The satellite receiving station has been operating since October 2007 and is currently receiving and processing data from the European Space Agency (ERS-2/LBR and ERS-2/SAR), NASA (Terra/Aqua-MODIS) and USGS (Landsat-5).
Goals:
ScanEx Research and Development Center (ScanEx R&D Center) is the leading Russian company within the remote sensing market, offering a complete set of services from acquisition to thematic processing of Earth observation images acquired from space. The ScanEx R&D Center has been operating as a private company since 1989.
The main areas of activity include:
SANSA Space Operations and Earth Observation Directorates
Maximising the benefits of space science and technology
The Space Operations and Earth Observation Directorates of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) at Hartebeesthoek – formerly the CSIR Satellite Applications Centre (SAC) – are key components in the implementation of South Africa’s National Space Strategy. SANSA aims to leverage the benefits of space science and technology for socio-economic development, environmental conservation and natural resource management.
Still situated at Hartebeesthoek, some 70 km west of Pretoria in the Magaliesberg mountain range, the SANSA Space Operations and Earth Observation Directorates remain ideally positioned to provide tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) services for geo-synchronous and polar orbiting spacecraft to the manufacturers, operators and users of satellites and launch vehicles, as well as for satellite data acquisition. SANSA EO delivers Earth observation data relayed from satellites to a range of stakeholders.
Role in local and regional space programmes
SANSA’s consolidation of South Africa’s primary space entities has brought together a significant range of competencies in satellite applications, satellite engineering and research in space science and technology to play an important role in the country's future space initiatives. SANSA remains committed to delivering quality services to the international space sector, also in the growing Earth observation data management arena.
Distribution of imagery
Satellite navigation
The vast range of satellite navigation applications, such as in natural resources (mining and agriculture), environmental and disaster management, surveys mapping, Earth sciences, transportation and education, will be explored specifically for the benefit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
SANSA Space Operations at Hartebeesthoek is also involved in satellite navigation through ESESA (www.esesa.org), a European Union Framework Programme 7 project that will be completed in 2011. The project investigated the requirements for extending the EGNOS system to Southern Africa, primarily for use in the aviation sector but also for application in many other sectors. This project will be followed by one aimed at building South Africa’s capacity in the use and operation of navigation signals. In parallel, SANSA is working with the EC on the technical requirements to extend EGNOS to South Africa, as related to the planning for the EGNOS system in Europe.
Web address: E-mail address:
The Space Technology Center's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) operates the Thailand ground receiving station. It is located in the Ladkrabang District, in the suburbs of Eastern Bangkok, Thailand.
GISTDA is a public organization responsible for space technology and geo-informatics. Its mission is to provide remote sensing data and geo-information to the public, and to carry out and participate in the research and development of space technology and geo-informatics both nationally and internationally.
Data Archival:
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://landsat.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: Ask Landsat
Page Last Modified: 01/17/13 10:34 am
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