Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

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OBSERVING THE EARTH FROM SPACE
The idea for a civilian Earth resource satellite had two sources. DOD had an active
reconnaissance satellite program growing out of experience with reconnaissance aircraft
dating back to World War I. Scientists who investigated new technology for the classified
reconnaissance program often had training in geology or geography, and they saw much
potential for civilian use of the classified data they studied. In addition, NASA hired significant
numbers of geologists to prepare the scientific program for Apollo, and some of
them became interested in looking at the Earth as well as the Moon from space. 47 In 1965,
NASA started to investigate the potential of studying Earth resources from space using
instruments flown in its own aircraft. [II-13] The space agency wanted to involve the U.S.
Geological Survey (a branch of the Department of the Interior) and the Army Corps of
Engineers in remote-sensing research.
NASA proceeded slowly, testing a variety of sensors from aircraft before planning an
experimental satellite. In a pattern similar to the debate over Nimbus, the space agency’s
initial plans for Earth resource satellites called for a large, sophisticated experimental
satellite. [II-14] Meanwhile, scientists at the Department of the Interior had become convinced
of the value of satellite data for applications and wanted an early operational satellite
instead of elaborate experiments. [II-15] Impatient with NASA’s lack of action, a
group of scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey persuaded Secretary of the Interior
Stewart L. Udall to announce in September 1966 that the Department of the Interior
would start its own operational satellite program. 48 [II-16] When the Weather Bureau
pulled out of its meteorological satellite agreement with NASA, it made an alternative
alliance with DOD. The Department of the Interior, on the other hand, was unable to find
a partner with space expertise; thus its announcement was more a bureaucratic maneuver
than a realistic plan. Nevertheless, the resultant publicity forced NASA to commit to faster
action on an experimental project to build the kind of small satellite the Department of
the Interior wanted. 49 [II-17] NASA initially called the project the Earth Resources
Technology Satellite (ERTS), but it changed the name to Landsat in 1975. General
Electric won the prime contract for both the Nimbus and Landsat programs, and the
Nimbus platform that had been developed and flown by NASA was also used for Landsat.
Many problems remained after the agreement on what kind of satellite NASA would
build. The interested agencies continued to disagree over a variety of management and
technical issues and over the proper balance between an experimental and an operational
program. 50 The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture wanted different
kinds of sensors; Interior preferred a return-beam vidicon (a type of television camera),
while Agriculture desired a multispectral scanner. Both sensors involved relatively
47. Pamela E. Mack, Viewing the Earth: The Social Construction of the Landsat Satellite System (Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press, 1990), pp. 31–42. To see how an Earth observation program grew out of research on the other
planets, see Peter C. Badgley, “The Applications of Remote Sensors in Planetary Exploration,” paper presented
at the Third Annual Remote Sensing Conference, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 14, 1964.
48. The Department of the Interior called its program Earth Resources Observation Satellites (later
Systems), or EROS.
49. W.T. Pecora, Director, Geological Survey, to Under Secretary, Department of the Interior, “Status of
EROS Program,” draft, June 15, 1967, Space Policy Institute Documentary History Collection, Washington, DC.
For more details, see Mack, Viewing the Earth, pp. 56–65.
50. Peter C. Badgley, Program Chief, Earth Resources Survey, to Distribution, “Meeting of Earth
Resources User Agency Representatives with Space Applications Staff Members and Advanced Manned Missions
Staff Members, April 20, 1967,” May 4, 1967; Jacob E. Smart, Assistant Administrator for Policy, NASA, to Dr.
Seamans, “Meeting with Representatives of Department of Agriculture and Interior Earth Resources,”
September 11, 1967, with a confidential second memo of same subject and date; Jacob E. Smart, Assistant
Administrator for Policy, NASA, to Dr. Mueller, et al., “Earth Resources Survey Program,” October 3, 1967; Edgar
M. Cortright for George E. Mueller, Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, Memorandum to
Assistant Administrator for Policy, “Earth Resources Study Program,” November 17, 1967; Harry J. Goett to
Daniel G. Mazur, December 3, 1967. All of these documents can be found in the Space Policy Institute
Documentary History Collection, Washington, DC.