Landsat 9 is the latest in a string of satellites sent up into orbit since 1972. It’s a joint monitoring program run by the U.S. space agency NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Landsat satellites work by collecting light, the intensity of which gives information about what is on the ground. Landsat 9 will be able to see more than ever before, a total of 16,384 different shades of color. According to the agencies, we’ll be able to see more in darker spots like coastal waters and forests. The scientist leading the project is Dr. Jeff Masek from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He says: “We can monitor things that are changing very rapidly on the ground. I think one area, in particular, that’s going to see improvement is looking at water quality. For example, harmful algal blooms are a big issue in the U.S. and worldwide …