by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
This week, EROS Data Center celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The United States Geological Survey (USGS)-run center, which is situated just a few miles west of Garretson, has provided a source of pride, employment, and interest for the town since 1972.
"An original purpose of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, 50 years ago when the facility was planted in the middle of farm fields, was to store and send out land remote sensing data to anyone in the world with an interest in using it," wrote Michelle Bouchard of EROS' communications and outreach department.
Since its inception, EROS has used satellite data to monitor weather and climate changes, forest fires, the impact of drought, and much more. It now holds one of the largest image archives in the world, consisting of 73 petabytes.
For reference, 1 petabyte is one million gigabytes (GB), or the equivalent to 250,000 movies.
When the USGS first proposed having a fixed-orbit satellite in the late 1960's, it was determined the geological center of the United States would make for the best placement. Senate Minority Leader Karl Mundt and Representative Ben Reifel, both of South Dakota, lobbied and helped to secure funding for the center to be placed near Sioux Falls. The ingenuity of Sioux Falls business leaders ensured that it came to fruition.
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