Interior we are currently struggling to justify and incorporate Landsat MSS 
data into our routine activities. Incomplete data sets, such as those 
acquired by HCMM, Seasat-1, and Shuttle sortie missions will be of limited use 
to operational management and monitoring needs. Equipment purchased to analyze 
Landsat MSS data may be incapable of analyzing Landsat-D thematic mapper data, 
and current data formats may be incompatible with data obtained by the 
satellites of other nations. Thus, we have concern as well as excitement about 
the future. We fear an uncoordinated, sub-optimal, expensive research program 
that has serious political, technical and economic deficiencies. 
  
In the 80's, we should attempt to consolidate what we have learned in the use 
of current and planned data acquisition systems by: 
(1) providing high quality image data products and computer - useable 
data in a timely manner; 
(2) developing a common format to allow analysis of data from Earth 
resources satellites of all nations; 
(3) reducing the user's cost of analysis through innovative applications 
of data compression and statistics (e.g., principal component 
analysis); 
(4) obtaining more quantitative relations between the satellite - collect- 
ed data and phenomena of interest on Earth; 
(5) developing methods of integrating and processing remotely sensed data 
with other data bases; and 
(6) overcoming technology transfer and institutional barriers which 
inhibit and delay the use of these important data sources. 
We should focus on making the present systems work - to optimize their use be- 
fore we introduce new and sweeping changes. We should strive to make the data 
acquired by satellites of all nations of maximum utility in solving our complex 
resource inventory and environmental problems, through close coordination of 
satellite launch dates and orbits, data transmission parameters, data formats, 
and storage and retrieval mechanisms. Future experimental or operational data 
acquisition systems need to minimize the cost impact on existing resource 
exploration and management programs so that new and useful capabilities can be 
integrated into program activities as rapidly as possible. 
Emphasis during the 1970's has been placed on development of technology for 
the acquisition of data. The real challenge during the 1980's will be to make 
all elements of these technology developments work for us in our exploitation 
of Earth's resources, and our continuing efforts to maintain environmental 
quality.