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HOUSTON, Texas (KIAH) – NASA‘S mission to continue studying Earth from outer space continues today, with the launch of the Landsat 9 satellite, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

On Monday, Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit. Once Landsat 9 arrives in outer space, it will begin collecting images from across the planet, every eight days!

By collecting this data, it will continue the Landsat program, which began in 1972. The Landsat Program’s main mission is to monitor the health of planet Earth. It also helps people manage essential resources, like crops, irrigation water and forests.

NASA/ Northrup Grumman

In fact, if you’ve used Google Earth, then you’ve seen images of our home planet that only a satellite can bring you. Many of these images come from previous Landsat satellites and are all part of the Landsat mission, a joint venture between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Images from Landsat 9 will be added to nearly 50 years of free and publicly available date and information from the mission, since 1972. This would be the longest date record of Earth’s landscapes ever taken from outer space.

You can follow this history making launch by clicking on to this NASA LIVE LINK.

NASA/ Northrup Grumman