Landsat program — origin and early history.

• Initiated by NASA (with the U.S. Department of Interior, 1967).
• Landsat 1 (first of series) launched 1972 — originally named ERTS-1 (Earth Resources Technology Satellites), renamed Landsat 1 later.
• Landsat 2 — 1975 (ERTS-B).
• Landsat 3 — 1978 (short life).
• Landsat 4 — 1982.
• Landsat 5 — 1984 (famously long-lived — operated until 2013).
• Landsat 6 — 1993, launch failure.
• Landsat 7 — April 15, 1999. Co-managed by NASA + USGS.