Earth observation with satellite data: Prof. Cornelius Senf appointed to the Landsat Science Team

As head of the Professorship of Earth Observation for Ecosystem Management, Cornelius Senf was appointed to the renowned Landsat Science Team (LST) as part of an interdisciplinary research team led by David Frantz (University of Trier). Other team members include Sebastian van der Linden (University of Greifswald), Patrick Hostert, and Dirk Pflugmacher (Humboldt University of Berlin). 

The invitation is extended by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is regarded as a special scientific honor: only world-leading experts who are helping to shape the further development of one of the most important Earth observation programs globally are appointed to the Landsat Science Team.

Satellite data for research and environmental monitoring

The Landsat program has been providing continuous satellite data on the Earth's surface for over 50 years, forming a central basis for research on climate change, land use, ecosystems, forests, agriculture, and urbanization. The freely available data is used worldwide in science, environmental monitoring, and political consulting.

The members of the Landsat Science Team are not only among the world's leading researchers in the field of Earth observation, but their research also contributes directly to the strategic development of the renowned Landsat program. This includes advising on the use of existing satellites and collaborating on future missions, in particular the upcoming Landsat Next Generation.

Joint research with satellite data from the US and Europe

The newly appointed team brings comprehensive expertise in the analysis of large satellite data archives, the combination of different satellite missions (e.g., Landsat and Sentinel), as well as in high-resolution temporal evaluation methods and AI-supported analyses. The aim of the joint project, entitled “Synergistic Data Processing Pipelines for Landsat and European Satellite Missions,” is to accurately record environmental changes over decades—such as forest damage aggravated by climate change, changes in agricultural use, the renaturation of moors, and the dynamics of growing cities.

The work of the Landsat Science Team influences what environmental information will be available globally in the future and thus how well-founded social and political decisions can be made. The appointment to the Landsat Science Team recognizes the many years of cutting-edge research at the Technical University of Munich in the field of Earth observation and at the same time strengthens the European perspective within an international committee. It underscores the visibility of German Earth observation research and the European Copernicus program at the highest international level.