The Atlas V rocket with the Landsat 9 Earth remote sensing satellite was launched on Monday, September 27, 2021, at 18:11 UTC from Vandenberg Air Force Base (California, USA).

The successful launch of Atlas V rocket was ensured by RD-180 liquid-propellant rocket engine, developed and produced by NPO Energomash (part of Roscosmos) as part of the first stage.

The Atlas rocket family has made 94 successful launches with RD-180 engines.

According to the media, the continuous study of the Earth surface from the orbit under the joint project of NASA and the US Geological Survey has been underway since 1972 when Landsat 1 was launched. The ninth satellite is to replace Landsat 7 launched in April 1999. It will be injected into the same orbit at an altitude of about 705 km making it easier to calibrate onboard instruments. Landsat 9 is expected to transmit over 700 images daily.