A Delta 2 successfully launched Landsat 7 from Vandenberg AFB, pad SLC 2W, at ? UTC on April 15. The spacecraft bus was built by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space in Valley Forge, Pa., and the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument, developed by Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Landsat 7 is a joint venture between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Landsat 7 is part of NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise (ESE). Landsat 7 was developed as a tri-agency program between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Department of Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey. NASA was responsible for the development and launch of the satellite, and the development of the ground system. NOAA provided its operational expertise to the developers of the ground system. USGS is responsible for receiving, processing, archiving and distributing the data.