A satellite image taken by the recently decommissioned Landsat 7 satellite has revealed that Las Vegas has nearly doubled in size over the past 25 years, with its population growing from 1.38 million to 2.33 million between 2000 and 2023. The final image captured by the satellite shows the sprawling city spread across the Nevada desert, including nearby towns like Henderson and Paradise.
The Landsat 7 satellite, launched in 1999, has taken over 3.3 million images of Earth’s surface during its mission. Its final transmission was received on June 4, marking the end of its 25-year mission. The satellite will now drift in space for around 55 years before eventually burning up in the atmosphere.
The image shows that Las Vegas has expanded to nearly double its original size, with notable changes also visible in Lake Mead, an artificial reservoir created by the Hoover Dam. While human-caused climate change may be a contributing factor to the lake’s natural fluctuations, it is difficult to determine the full impact of anthropogenic factors.
The Landsat 7 satellite played a significant role in developing mapping services and capturing iconic images of recent events, including the 9/11 terror attacks and Hurricane Katrina. Despite its initial design for a five-year mission, the satellite has far exceeded its target, suffering only one significant instrument failure in 2003.
With two operational Landsat satellites now orbiting Earth – Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 – plans are underway to launch the 10th satellite, Landsat Next, by 2031. However, funding for this mission is currently uncertain due to budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration, leaving experts reassessing alternate mission architectures.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/final-photo-from-iconic-us-satellite-shows-how-las-vegas-has-doubled-in-size-over-the-last-25-years-earth-from-space