This artifact is a full-scale model of the Thematic Mapper (TM) instrument first used on Landsat 4, which launched in 1982 and operated until 1993. As the instrument flew over the Earth it "saw" only selected wavelengths of light that, when processed, provided information on the condition of land, water, and vegetation.
Image Number: WEB12987-2013
Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
For print or commercial use, please contact: Smithsonian Institution
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