Australia has formally joined the United States-led Landsat Next satellite program as a core partner, building on nearly half a century of collaboration in satellite land imaging.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a bilateral statement at the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) this week.
The formal signing is a milestone for Australia’s involvement in the pioneering project, which will map the Earth’s surface and support mining exploration, environmental monitoring, agriculture and disaster management.
Under the agreement, Australia will commit AUD207.4 million over the next four years for Geoscience Australia to develop advanced data processing and analytics capabilities. The funding will also provide essential support to the Landsat Next mission through upgraded ground station capabilities in Alice Springs.
The Landsat Next program, to be launched in 2031, will continue nearly 50 years of Earth observation collaboration between Geoscience Australia and the United States Geological Survey.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong said the satellite data delivered through this partnership will not only benefit Australia and the US, but its critical insights will help the Indo-Pacific to optimise food security and agricultural production, improve urban infrastructure planning, and prepare for disasters.
