The Landsat legacy: Remote sensing policy and the development of commercial remote sensing

This paper summarizes the policy history of Landsat and examines its piece in the development of land remote sensing for science, practical applications related to land use, and the marketplace. In particular, it identifies key steps in creating the foundations for a commercial market in remotely sensed land data and information products. This paper further analyzes the interplay between government policy and technology development for remote sensing, It concludes that one of the primary forces behind the developing market for Earth observation data is the creation of information technologies, including powerful personal computers, geographic information system (GIS) software, CD-ROM, and the Internet. These and other technologies are creating the infrastructure necessary to incorporate remotely sensed data into the broader information marketplace.