The U.S.–India NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission is set to launch in the coming months, marking a groundbreaking step in understanding Earth’s dynamic surface. This unique satellite, equipped with advanced radar systems, promises to provide unprecedented insights into the changes happening on our planet.
What Makes NISAR Special?
NISAR is the first Earth-observing satellite to use two different radar systems, each with unique capabilities. These radars will measure changes in Earth’s surface, from subtle movements caused by natural events like earthquakes and landslides to larger-scale shifts in glaciers and forests. This information will be captured every week with incredible precision—down to the centimeter—providing scientists and disaster response teams with detailed data to better understand and respond to Earth’s changes.
Why Does It Matter?
The satellite will help track how glaciers and ice sheets are moving, monitor forests and wetlands, and study land deformation caused by earthquakes or volcanic activity. It will also offer valuable insights into the global carbon cycle, helping researchers understand how our planet stores and releases carbon.
A Global Collaboration
NISAR is the result of a unique partnership between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Combining NASA’s L-band radar technology with ISRO’s S-band radar, the mission showcases a decade of collaboration spanning continents and time zones. The satellite, built with components from the U.S. and India, will be assembled and launched from India.
Accessible Data for All
The mission’s data will be processed and stored in the cloud, making it freely available to researchers and other users worldwide. This accessibility ensures that the insights from NISAR can be applied to areas like water management, agriculture, and disaster response, benefiting communities across the globe.
Paul Rosen, the mission’s project scientist, emphasized the importance of NISAR, describing it as a tool to piece together the story of Earth as a living, ever-changing system.
With its cutting-edge technology and international cooperation, NISAR is poised to set a new standard for Earth observation, offering a clearer picture of the planet we call home.
