Office of Communication
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior
Reston, Virginia

Contact Information:

Kristi Kline
Phone: 605-594-2585

Ron Beck
Phone: 605-594-6550

Released: 8/13/2009

Landsat 5 Experiences Malfunction

Satellite is Now Stabilized and the Cause is Being Investigated

Landsat 5 tumbled out of control and power was at a critical level in the
early morning of August 13.

The cause for this anomaly is currently unknown and being investigated.

The spacecraft has been stabilized after the USGS Landsat Flight Operations
Team initiated recovery operations. Power is still at a critical level, and
the extent of damage is yet to be determined. Imaging operations are
suspended until further notice.

"Landsat 5 has proven to be a remarkable success and has given the science
community important information on land features of the planet," said USGS
Landsat Program manager Kristi Kline. "It was launched in 1984 and designed
to last 3 years with a possible extension to five years. Incredibly it is
still a valuable resource and by early 2009, it had completed over 129,000
orbits and acquired over 700,000 individual scenes."

Landsat 5 provided data demonstrating alterations over Chernobyl region
after the nuclear power plant eruption, de-forestation of tropical rain
forests, drought and flooding in the Mississippi River basin, construction
of the Three Gorges dam in China, shrinking of the Aral Sea, Northern
Wisconsin after a tornado pass, the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
and countless forest and wildfire outbreaks.

For more information about Landsat 5 and others in the Landsat series, visit
the Landsat Missions Web site
http://landsat.usgs.gov/