The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a joint project between

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

and ISRO to co-develop and launch a dual-frequency

synthetic aperture radar Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target region to provide fine ...

on an Earth observation satellite. The satellite will be the first

radar imaging Imaging radar is an application of radar which is used to create two-dimensional images, typically of landscapes. Imaging radar provides its light to illuminate an area on the ground and take a picture at radio wavelengths. It uses an antenna and ...

satellite to use dual frequencies. It will be used for

remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Eart ...

, to observe and understand natural processes on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

. For example, its left-facing instruments will study the Antarctic

cryosphere ] The cryosphere (from the Ancient Greek, Greek ''kryos'', "cold", "frost" or "ice" and ''sphaira'', "globe, ball") is an all-encompassing term for those portions of Earth's surface where water is in solid form, including sea ice, lake ice, ri ...

. With a total cost estimated at US$1.5 billion, NISAR is likely to be the world's most expensive Earth-imaging satellite.

Overview

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic-aperture radar, Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR satellite, will use advanced radar imaging to map the elevation of Earth's land and ice masses 4 to 6 times a month at resolutions of 5 to 10 meters. It is designed to observe and measure some of the planet's most complex natural processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards such as

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...

volcano A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Ear ...

es and landslides. Under the terms of the agreement, NASA will provide the mission's

L-band The L band is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) designation for the range of frequencies in the radio spectrum from 1 to 2 gigahertz (GHz). This is at the top end of the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, at the lower ...

(SAR), a high-rate telecommunication subsystem for scientific data

GPS receivers A satellite navigation device (satnav device) is a user equipment that uses one or more of several global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to calculate the device's geographical position and provide navigational advice. Depending on the ...

, a solid-state recorder, and a payload data subsystem. ISRO will provide the

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus- ...

, an S-band synthetic aperture radar, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services. All data from NISAR would be freely available 1 to 2 days after observation and within hours in case of emergencies like natural disasters. Data collected from NISAR will reveal information about the evolution and state of Earth's crust, help scientists better understand our planet's natural processes and changing climate, and aid future resource and hazard management. The mission is a partnership between

and ISRO. The satellite will be three-axis stabilized. It will use a deployable mesh antenna and will operate on both the L- and S- microwave bands. The aperture mesh reflector (antenna) will be supplied by Astro Aerospace, a

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...

company. The satellite will be launched from India aboard a GSLV Mk II in early 2024. The orbit will be a Sun-synchronous, dawn-to-dusk type. The planned mission life is three years. The project has passed the first stage of the design validation phase and has been reviewed and approved by NASA. ISRO's share of the project cost is about , and NASA's share is about US$808 million.

Payload

(1.25

GHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

; 24 cm wavelength )

polarimetric Polarimetry is the measurement and interpretation of the polarization of transverse waves, most notably electromagnetic waves, such as radio or light waves. Typically polarimetry is done on electromagnetic waves that have traveled through or ...

SAR, to be produced by NASA. * S-band (3.20 GHz; 9.3 cm wavelength ) polarimetric SAR, to be produced by ISRO.

References

{{Future spaceflights ISRO satellites NASA satellites India–United States relations 2024 in spaceflight Synthetic aperture radar satellites

Overview

Payload

See also

References