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- Landsat-1 to Landsat-3
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- Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS)
- Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) O...
Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) Overview
Instrument Design
The Multi Spectral Scanner (MSS) on the Landsat-1 to 5 missions was an opto-mechanical scanning instrument (whiskbroom technique, unidirectional operation) consisting of a double reflector-type telescope, scanning mirror, filters, detectors, and associated electronics. The MSS instrument had a spatial resolution of approximately 79 metres with four bands ranging from the visible blue to the Near Infra-Red (NIR).
Instrument Operations
The start and end dates of the MSS operations on the Landsat-1 to 5 missions are detailed in the table below.
| Satellite | Launch Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Landsat-1 | 23 July 1972 | 6 January 1978 |
| Landsat-2 | 22 January 1975 | 27 July 1983 (Removed from operations on 25 February 1982; placed in standby mode on 31 March 1983) |
| Landsat-3 | 5 March 1978 | 7 September 1983 (Placed in standby mode on 31 March 1983) |
| Landsat-4 | 16 July 1982 | 15 June 2001 (Removed from operations 14 December 1993) |
| Landsat-5 | 1 March 1984 | 5 June 2013 (Global MSS acquisitions ended in 1999, however MSS was powered back on in 2012 where limited acquisitions were made until January 2013, following the loss of the TM sensor which ended in November 2011) |
Related Links
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