Landsat 4 is the fourth satellite of the
Landsat program. It was launched on July 16, 1982, with the primary goal of providing a global archive of satellite imagery. Although the Landsat Program is managed by
NASA, data from Landsat 4 was collected and distributed by the
U.S. Geological Survey. Landsat 4 science operations ended on December 14, 1993 when the satellite lost its ability to transmit science data, far beyond its designed life expectancy of five years. The
satellite housekeeping telemetry and tracking continued to be maintained by
NASA until it was decommissioned on June 15, 2001.