NISAR is a collaborative mission between ISRO and NASA. It will launch in March 2025. It is going to be the most ambitious mission under collaboration that provides state-of-the-art data to monitor diverse applications: monitoring of climate change and natural hazards as well as managing resources related to our nature. Below is a proper explanation of what NISAR is
What is NISAR?
NISAR is the abbreviation for NASA – ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar. In fact, it shall be the first of its kind radar imaging satellite. Using a dual-frequency radar technology, this satellite will create images of the Earth’s surface, which will, in turn, return a highly detailed global measurement that has never been seen to this extent of accuracy or consistency.
Key Features and Technology
1. Dual-Frequency Radar System:NASA’s L-Band Radar: To map forests to monitor changes in vegetation, ice, and soil moisture over time.S-band Radar (ISRO): Agricultural monitoring, soil studies, and disaster relief.
2. Large Deployable Antenna: It has an unfurlable radar antenna with a dimension of 12 meters, made of lightweight gold-plated mesh. It is one of the most advanced radar systems developed till date.
3. High Resolution :NISAR will get the Earth’s surface images at a resolution of 5 to 10 meters. This will help it understand even minute changes over the period of time.
4. Return Capability:The satellite will revisit the same location every 12 days, which will enable scientists to monitor dynamic processes such as glacier movements, deforestation, and urbanization.
Mission Objectives
1. Earth Science Applications:Monitor changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces.Study natural hazards of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
2. Climate Change Monitoring:Measure biomass, carbon storage, and study ecosystems’ response to climate change.
3. Disaster Management:Real time data in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
4. Agricultural and Water Resources crop growth and water, soil conditions that monitor these for better resources management
Development and Collaboration
1. What ISRO Contributed.S band radar system and spacecraft bus.Assembly, integration and testing at its facilities in India.Launch services employing the GSLV Mk II rocket from Sriharikota.
2. NASA’s Contributions:L-band radar system.Radar reflectors and electronics.Scientific expertise and mission management.
Launch and Deployment
Launch Date: March 2025.
Launch Vehicle: ISRO’s GSLV Mk II.
Launch Site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota, India.
Orbit: NISAR will be placed in a Sun-synchronous polar orbit about 747 km above Earth.
Importance of NISAR
1. First Scientifically:First spaceborne radar imaging satellite in L-band along with S-band Frequencies high-quality and repeatable observations of the dynamic processes of Earth
2. International Cooperation:Bond between US and India in connection with the space exploration mission
3. Applications from Sectors:From natural disaster prediction to food security, NISAR will shed light on many industries as well as scientific fields.
NISAR is a landmark in Earth observation, being the first mission to exploit the latest radar technology for high-resolution, multi-frequency imaging. This NASA-ISRO collaborative mission will advance our understanding of the planet and its dynamic systems and help us address some of the world’s most pressing challenges in climate change, environmental sustainability, and disaster management.
