AFP: The United States launched its latest Earth observation satellite Monday atop an Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA said.         

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission was the latest in a line of satellites used to continuously gather imagery from space of the Earth's land surface, coastal areas and coral reefs.         

"Everything is looking good, and the engine is operating normally," a NASA announcer said after the rocket roared off its launch pad at 1702 GMT.          Once in orbit, the satellite will be turned over to the US Geological Survey. The satellite is the eighth in a series to be launched beginning in 1972, that have been instrumental in tracking the changing face of planet.         

It is designed to have a minimum five year life span, although it is fuelled for a 10 year run in space, orbiting the Earth about 14 times a day from an altitude of 705 kilometres.