Landsat 7 ETM+ on-orbit calibration and data quality assessment

The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) multispectral scanner is scheduled for launch aboard the Landsat 7 satellite in 1998. Unlike data from earlier Landsat satellites, the United States (U.S.) Government will distribute data to users in an essentially raw form. The Landsat 7 ground system design therefore includes an image assessment system (IAS) to provide users with the ancillary information needed to generate useful, radiometrically-calibrated, geometrically-corrected ETM+ digital imagery. The IAS will assess ETM+ data quality and calibrate the sensor radiometry and geometry. The information provided by the IAS will allow users to produce digital image data with an absolute radiometric accuracy of 5%, band-to-band registration of 0.3 pixels, and geodetic registration to 250 m (1 sigma) without ground control.