Search images in USGS earth explorer using Python API

Question

Is it possible to search for images in USGS Earth Explorer using Python (API) script?

I tried the example here:

from usgs import api

# Set the EarthExplorer catalog
node = 'EE'# this indicates earth explorer website

# Set the Hyperion and Landsat 8 dataset
hyperion_dataset = 'EO1_HYP_PUB'
landsat8_dataset = 'LANDSAT_8'

# Set the scene ids
hyperion_scene_id = 'EO1H1820422014302110K2_SG1_01'
landsat8_scene_id = 'LC80290462015135LGN00'

# Submit requests to USGS servers
api.metadata(hyperion_dataset, node, [hyperion_scene_id])
api.metadata(landsat8_dataset, node, [landsat8_scene_id])

But I got:

USGSError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-4-dab0c21371c4> in <module>()
     11 
     12 # Submit requests to USGS servers
---> 13 api.metadata(hyperion_dataset, node, [hyperion_scene_id])
     14 api.metadata(landsat8_dataset, node, [landsat8_scene_id])
     15 

C:\Users\Ran\Anaconda2\lib\site-packages\usgs\api.pyc in metadata(dataset, node, entityids, extended, api_key)
    235     response = r.json()
    236 
--> 237     _check_for_usgs_error(response)
    238 
    239     if extended:

C:\Users\Ran\Anaconda2\lib\site-packages\usgs\api.pyc in _check_for_usgs_error(data)
     33     error = data['error']
     34 
---> 35     raise USGSError('%s: %s' % (error_code, error))
     36 
     37 

USGSError: AUTH_UNAUTHORIZED: Forbidden - Valid API Key required for access to 'metadata' method.

I don't understand where my password and user name should go?

I also tried this according to this:

import landsatxplore.api

# Initialize a new API instance and get an access key
api = landsatxplore.api.API('user', 'password')

# Request
scenes = api.search(
    dataset='LANDSAT_8',
    latitude=19.53,
    longitude=-1.53,
    start_date='2015-01-01',
    end_date='2016-01-01',
    max_cloud_cover=10)

print('{} scenes found.'.format(len(scenes)))

for scene in scenes:
    print(scene['acquisitionDate'])

api.logout()

But I got:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EarthExplorerError                        Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-6-a48259d60bd9> in <module>()
     11     start_date='2015-01-01',
     12     end_date='2016-01-01',
---> 13     max_cloud_cover=10)
     14 
     15 print('{} scenes found.'.format(len(scenes)))

C:\Users\Ran\Anaconda2\lib\site-packages\landsatxplore\api.pyc in search(self, dataset, latitude, longitude, bbox, max_cloud_cover, start_date, end_date, months, max_results)
    111             params.update(months=months)
    112 
--> 113         response = self.request('search', **params)
    114         return response['results']
    115 

C:\Users\Ran\Anaconda2\lib\site-packages\landsatxplore\api.pyc in request(self, request_code, **kwargs)
     39         response = requests.get(url, params=params).json()
     40         if response['error']:
---> 41             raise EarthExplorerError('EE: {}'.format(response['error']))
     42         else:
     43             return response['data']

EarthExplorerError: EE: Dataset is currently offline.

Do they have an official API for Python? I would like to search (and download) images from the Earth Explorer database (not only Landsats) using Python, is it possible?

Answer 1

The documentation states you need to supply an API key to your request:

usgs.api.metadata(dataset, node, entityids, extended=False, api_key=None)

Reference: http://kapadia.github.io/usgs/reference/api.html#examples

It is also stated:

All requests require an account with USGS’s EROS service. The account must also have Machine to Machine privileges.

With the link pointing to https://ers.cr.usgs.gov/register/ to register your account. I didn't go through the process of creating an account, but I'd jump to the conclusion that after making an account it'd provide your an API key you could use in your request.