Landsat-8 Long Swath

Highlights of animation of Landsat data collected in one continuous pass over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, on April 19, 2013. The selections in this video feature the Volga River in Russia, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Iraq, the cities of Medina and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Mt. Elgon and Lake Victoria in Uganda and Kenya, and the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe. The data was collected by the Landsat Data Continuity Mission observatory, also known as Landsat 8.For complete transcript, click here.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. || After two months of on-orbit testing and calibration, Landsat 8 (previously called LDCM) fired its propulsion system on April 12, 2013, and ascended to its final orbit 438 miles (705 km) above Earth. The animation, made from scenes taken a week later on April 19, allows viewers to fly with the satellite from its final operating orbit. 56 continuous Landsat scenes from that orbit have been stitched together into a seamless view from Russia to South Africa. Orbiting at 16,800 mph (27,000 kph), Landsat 8 made this flight in just more than 20 minutes. The animation moves faster, covering 5,665 miles (9,117 kilometers) in nearly 16 minutes. You would have to be moving about 21,930 mph (35,290 kph) to get a similar view — only slightly slower than the Apollo astronauts who entered Earth a total of 5,665 miles brought to you in less than 16 minutes. This data was collected on April 19, 2013, by the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM).Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.