Australia Commits $207 Million to New Earth Observation Satellite Program

“Landsat Next” helps provide more than half of all climate change data and over 90 percent of weather data.

A satellite image shows bushfire smoke being blown away from Australia towards New Zealand on Jan. 2, 2020. in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. NOAA via Reuters

Australia has renewed its nearly 50-year partnership in the Landsat program, committing $207.4 million over four years and ongoing funding.

The money will be spent on enhancing satellite ground station facilities in the central Australian town of Alice Springs, and supporting advanced new data processing and analytics capabilities.