The joint Statement of Intent was signed by USGS Deputy Director of Operations Cynthia Lodge, DLR Executive Board Chairwoman professor Anke Kayser-Pyzalla, Head of the DLR Space Division Dr. Anke Pagels-Kerp and Director of DLR’s German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) professor Stefan Dech during the inaugural U.S.-Germany Space Dialogue Space Dialogue in Berlin on June 4 and finalized during the Deputy Director’s visit to DLR’s Earth Observation Center on June 7. 

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The USGS and DLR intend to continue their longstanding Earth observations partnership through the Landsat 2030 International Partnership Initiative, which was announced during the December 2023 U.S. National Space Council meeting. It is designed to enhance U.S. and partner governments’ abilities to sustainably manage their land, surface water and resource use. 

Landsat – an Earth observing satellite partnership between the USGS and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) -- has created the longest space-based record of Earth’s surface for more than 50 years.  

The USGS and DLR are committed to continuing their partnership under the 2030 Initiative, which is an important contribution to the long-standing and enduring U.S.-Germany Alliance.  

Landsat Next is the next generation Landsat satellite mission and will build upon Landsat’s legacy of global land imaging with improved capabilities such as higher spatial resolution, twice the current number of spectral bands, and more frequent local observations.  

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As part of the cooperation, the DFD intends for its ground station in Neustrelitz to receive data from the future LandsatNext satellites, quickly sharing their data to support economic development, environmental management and to combat climate change. The ground station also currently supports Landsat 8 and 9 missions.