Latest news with #NASA-ISROSyntheticApertureRadar
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Business Standard
19-06-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
World's first dual-frequency radar satellite NISAR to launch from India
World's first dual-frequency radar satellite Launch: In a landmark collaboration, NASA and ISRO are gearing up to launch the NISAR satellite. It is an ambitious $1.5 billion Earth-observation mission that could redefine how we track changes on our planet. The satellite is scheduled to launch this July from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre. NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is designed to monitor Earth's surface with unprecedented centimetre-level precision, day or night, rain or shine. Equipped with a massive 12-meter radar antenna and weighing nearly three tonnes, NISAR is built to deliver near-real-time data on critical challenges like agricultural trends, climate shifts, natural disasters, and environmental changes. Its insights are expected to benefit scientists, farmers, and disaster-response teams globally, making it one of the most anticipated Earth science missions in recent memory. Why Nasa and Isro teamed up for NISAR? Most Earth-observing satellites rely on sunlight to capture surface images, limiting their use to daylight hours and clear skies. This makes them less effective in cloudy regions, like the tropics, or during nighttime events. The NASA-ISRO partnership aims to bridge this gap. With NISAR's advanced radar system, the mission will provide continuous, all-weather imaging, delivering more accurate and timely insights into environmental conditions, natural calamities, and agricultural developments. At the core of NISAR is Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)—a technology originally developed for military reconnaissance in the 1950s. Unlike traditional optical sensors, SAR actively sends radar signals to the Earth's surface and captures the reflections. It functions like a camera flash in the dark, allowing it to 'see' through clouds, smoke, and dense vegetation, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. Real-time tracking of natural disasters SAR has already shown its potential in monitoring floods, earthquakes, and landslides. NISAR will push this further by using dual-frequency radar and offering high-resolution images. It can detect even slight shifts in the Earth's crust, enabling emergency services to assess damage more quickly and respond more effectively during disasters. One of NISAR's unique strengths is its ability to penetrate thick vegetation. This allows researchers to study forest structures and wetlands in greater detail than ever before. It will help measure forest biomass and carbon content, as well as detect flooded vegetation, providing critical insights into ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity. Global impact of NISAR NISAR's high-resolution data will be freely available to researchers and institutions worldwide. It will revisit almost all land and ice surfaces every 12 days, offering more consistent and detailed observations than older missions like Sentinel-1. For the agricultural sector, this means better tracking of soil moisture, crop growth, and land-use patterns, helping farmers make smarter decisions about irrigation and resource use. NISAR's groundbreaking ability NISAR is the first satellite to carry dual-frequency radars and marks NASA and ISRO's first joint hardware venture for Earth observation. What makes it even more impactful is its open data policy, offering free access to high-resolution images and insights to scientists and agencies worldwide. With the ability to detect ground shifts of just a few millimetres, NISAR will aid in monitoring earthquakes, coastal erosion, groundwater changes, forest biomass, and dam safety, benefiting both climate research and disaster management. The satellite will also play a vital role in monitoring glacier movements and melting ice sheets, key indicators of rising sea levels. In coastal areas, NISAR can track shoreline erosion and even detect oil spills, providing valuable tools for environmental protection and emergency response. New era in Earth science NISAR took nearly ten years to develop, and now it is set to launch and add a new chapter in global earth observation. The merger of cutting-edge radar technology with global accessibility promises to equip scientists, policymakers, and communities with the data they need to better understand our planet. From climate resilience and food security to disaster preparedness, NISAR is poised to become a cornerstone of Earth science for years to come.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA-ISRO to launch $1.5 billion NISAR satellite: Why this Earth-monitoring mission is so important
In a major joint effort, NASA and ISRO are set to launch the NISAR satellite , a $1.5 billion Earth-observing mission that could transform the way we monitor our planet. The launch is scheduled for June 18, 2025, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. NISAR, short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar , will track changes on Earth's surface with centimeter-level precision—whether it's day or night, sunny or stormy. The satellite carries a huge 12-metre radar antenna and weighs nearly three tonnes. It's built to deliver real-time data on critical issues like farming patterns, climate shifts, earthquakes, landslides and floods. Scientists, farmers and emergency teams across the globe are expected to benefit from the mission's insights, making NISAR one of the most anticipated Earth science projects in recent years. Why NASA and ISRO joined hands for the NISAR mission Most existing Earth-observing satellites depend on reflected sunlight to capture surface images, meaning they can only function in daylight and clear weather. This limits their effectiveness in cloud-covered regions like the tropics or during nighttime events. The NASA-ISRO collaboration on the NISAR mission aims to overcome these gaps. Using advanced radar technology, NISAR will provide round-the-clock, all-weather imaging, enabling more accurate monitoring of natural disasters, environmental changes, and agricultural patterns regardless of time or conditions. How NISAR's radar technology makes a difference NISAR uses synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a technology first developed for military use in the 1950s. Unlike optical imaging, SAR actively sends radar signals to Earth's surface and captures their reflections. This works much like using a flash in a dark room. SAR can see through clouds, smoke, and even dense vegetation, making it ideal for 24/7 monitoring in all weather conditions. Real-time disaster monitoring and response SAR has already proven useful in tracking disasters like floods, landslides, and earthquakes. NISAR takes this a step further by offering more detailed images and dual-frequency radar. It can detect even subtle land shifts caused by disasters and help emergency teams assess damage quickly, improving response and recovery efforts. Looking inside forests and wetlands NISAR's radar can penetrate thick vegetation, allowing scientists to study the structure of forests and wetlands in new detail. It will measure how much biomass and carbon forests hold and detect flooded vegetation, giving insights into ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity. Global benefits for science and agriculture The satellite's high-resolution data will be made freely available to researchers and institutions worldwide. It will scan nearly all land and ice surfaces every 12 days, offering more frequent and sharper imaging than previous missions like Sentinel-1. For agriculture, NISAR can measure soil moisture in all conditions, helping farmers time irrigation and boost crop yields. Tracking glaciers, coastlines, and oil spills Beyond forests and farms, NISAR will monitor the movement of ice sheets and glaciers, which is vital for studying rising sea levels. It will also help track coastal erosion and oil spills at sea, offering tools for both environmental protection and disaster response. A bold leap for Earth science After more than ten years in development, the NISAR satellite is ready to offer a powerful new view of our planet. It combines cutting-edge radar with global access to help scientists, governments, and communities better understand Earth's systems and respond to its challenges. From climate change to food security and disaster resilience, NISAR is set to play a key role in the years to come. .
NDTV
16-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
India To Launch $1.5 Billion Joint Earth Mission With NASA In July
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are set to launch satellite NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre this July. The $1.5 billion Earth-observing satellite, weighing nearly three tonnes, will monitor the planet's surface with unmatched precision, using advanced radar to scan land, ice, and water every 12 days. Jointly developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ISRO's Space Applications Centre, NISAR is the world's first Earth-observing satellite equipped with dual-frequency radar, L-band and S-band. Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, it will actively beam radar signals to Earth and analyse the reflections to create high-resolution images. Unlike optical satellites that depend on sunlight and clear skies, NISAR can capture data day or night, and even "see" through cloud cover, smoke, or dense vegetation. What sets NISAR apart is its commitment to open data. The high-resolution imagery and insights it collects will be made freely available to scientists, agencies, and governments across the globe. This technology makes it a powerful tool for tracking natural disasters, changes in groundwater, agricultural patterns, forest biomass, and the shifting of tectonic plates. It can even detect ground shifts as small as a few millimetres, making it vital for monitoring earthquakes, landslides, glacier melt, dam subsidence, coastal erosion, and forest biomass. It can also track soil moisture, helping farmers improve irrigation and boost crop yields. With wide-ranging uses, NISAR will aid disaster response, climate research, and sustainable farming worldwide. The NISAR mission has been under development for over a decade, with joint engineering efforts led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and ISRO's Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad. NISAR is now being prepped for its July launch aboard an ISRO GSLV Mark II rocket. Before this, it went through months of integration and rigorous testing at ISRO's Bengaluru facility, where engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ISRO worked closely since March 2023.
India Today
30-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Tracking Earth, inch by inch
WHAT: The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, to be placed in a low earth orbit soon, will scan the Earth's surface every six days measuring minute changes down to a centimetre. With each pixel capturing an area about half the size of a tennis court, it will track how quakes, volcano eruptions and landslides occur; measure the advance or retreat of glaciers and ice sheets; and monitor the growth/loss of forests and wetlands.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ISRO and NASA's NISAR mission set to launch in June after years of preparation
After a prolonged wait, the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) has finally set the ball rolling for the final preparatory stages of one of its most highly anticipated global collaborations. The collaborative mission with the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR, is scheduled to take off in June 2025. The ambitious Earth observation satellite will boast one of the largest and most advanced radar imaging systems ever to have been launched into space. When in operation, NISAR will offer a new window of the Earth's surface, with critical information about Earth's changing systems, natural hazards, and environmental change. NASA and ISRO coordinates to finalise NISAR mission in June As the satellite approaches completion, NASA and ISRO are coordinating to finalize the mission launch date. The launch vehicle that is the backbone of this mission, GSLV-F16, will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. One of the most significant milestones during this preparation phase is the movement of the second stage of GSLV rocket from the ISRO Propulsion Complex to the launch pad. This means that the vehicle and satellite integration is near, and the mission is now well on its way towards its final implementation phase. The SAC based in Ahmedabad, which is one of the premier organisations of ISRO working on building the S-band radar for use by NISAR, has taken a serious effort at inducting the private sector. SAC recently organized a workshop in which it invited start-ups and new-entry firms to look for commercial spin-offs out of the mission. The workshop was focused on pushing the technological advances in Earth observation technologies by leveraging the high-technology radar capability of NISAR. With this initiative, ISRO is not just bringing its scientific knowledge but also catalyzing industry collaboration in order to release maximum applications in the real world from space-borne data across agriculture and forest, urbanization, and climate sensing. NISAR's radar technology integrates ISRO and NASA expertise NISAR has been under development for almost a decade, one of India and the US's most visible cooperative space science missions. Despite the global setbacks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists in the two nations stayed on course. The mission revolves around a cutting-edge dual-frequency radar system. The L-band radar was designed by NASA with a longer wavelength, which works extremely well to penetrate vegetation, ice, and even dirt. It is therefore extremely helpful in monitoring forests, agricultural fields, and polar regions. ISRO built the S-band radar, however, which has higher resolution to monitor surface-level changes with more details. The two radar systems were phased in. ISRO's S-band radar was transported to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California in March 2021, where it was combined with the L-band system. By March 2023, the combined radar payload was shipped to the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, where the testing was finally done and the radar was integrated with the satellite platform. NISAR to offer global Earth monitoring every 12 days NISAR will monitor nearly the entire land and ice surface of the Earth every twelve days. The satellite will capture high-resolution images that will transform our knowledge of a broad variety of environmental and geological processes. These include tracking glaciers and polar ice caps, which are key indicators of climate change. The satellite will also monitor displacements in the Earth's crust and thus be an important tool to observe and study earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Apart from this, NISAR will also have a significant role in mapping vegetation cover, forest biomass, agricultural crop stages, soil moisture, and water bodies. The mission is going to be highly beneficial for nations that are threatened by climate change and natural disasters since the data is going to be made available. This open access policy can facilitate better decision-making in disaster response, environmental management, urban planning, and resources management. Originally scheduled to lift off in the early part of 2024, the mission was delayed due to the necessity for corrective actions on one of its modules stationed in the U.S. Overcoming those teething troubles, the satellite is now scheduled for a mid-2025 lift-off, and into an all-important phase of operational readiness. ISRO prepares for multiple high-profile missions in the coming months While NISAR is certainly a front-page mission, ISRO has a hectic schedule for the remainder of the year with other high-profile activities. Possibly most prominent of these is the launch of the PSLV-C61 carrying the Earth Observation Satellite EOS-09. The satellite, with a C-band synthetic aperture radar onboard, will provide high-resolution imagery of Earth's surface. Like NISAR, EOS-09 will be operational in all weather and at night, and hence will be a powerful instrument for civil as well as scientific applications. The second test flight of the Gaganyaan programme is another significant mission on ISRO's list. The mission, known as TV-D02, will flight-test the crew escape system in a simulated abort mission. This mission is for protecting the lives of future astronauts and involves a sea-based recovery mission for the crew module. The Gaganyaan project, which will take Indian astronauts to outer space, has recently cleared with a new budget of ₹20,193 crore, reiterating the seriousness of the government to position India as a serious human spaceflight player. India's lunar ambitions soar with Chandrayaan-4 and future space station plans India's ambitions reach far beyond Earth orbit. The recently approved Chandrayaan-4 mission has been greenlit with a budget of ₹2,104 crore and will bring back samples from the Moon's southern high latitudes by October 2027. It will be a landmark for ISRO, with India's maiden lunar sample-return mission and an upgrade to its status in the global scientific fraternity. Down the line, ISRO has two ambitious goals for the coming decades. The first is to build a full-fledged Indian space station, the Bhartiya Antariksh Station, by 2035. The second is even more ambitious: landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon safely by 2040. These long-term goals show India's resolve to become one of the leading space powers of the world, with autonomous scientific exploration and distant space capabilities. Also Read | NASA reveals how 60 years of climate change have transformed Earth from vibrant blue to a troubled world
