Raytheon, a business unit of RTX (NYSE: RTX), has completed the preliminary design review for NASA's Landsat Next Instrument Suite, the company announced. The review validated the technical approach and engineering design of Raytheon's instruments, algorithms and multispectral imager for the Earth observation program.

Raytheon is providing multiple components for the program, including the multispectral imager, engineering analyses, algorithms, fabrication, testing and support. The company's multispectral imager will more than double the current spatial resolution and capture twice the number of spectral bands compared to existing systems.

The enhanced capabilities will support applications including water quality assessment, crop production optimization, soil conservation, forest management and monitoring, and climate research. The first LandIS sensor is expected to be delivered in 2028.

"By leveraging proven Raytheon technology and innovative design practices, we're delivering a solution that is on schedule, cost-effective and highly reliable," said Jeff McCall, vice president of Mission Solutions & Payloads at Raytheon.

Raytheon has supported the Landsat mission since the 1970s, providing instruments for Landsat missions 2 through 7. The Landsat Next mission aims to preserve the longest-running satellite record of Earth's land surface while enhancing the quality and scope of freely available data.

RTX reported 2025 sales of more than $88 billion and employs more than 180,000 people globally. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.