The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) joint satellite project has taken another key step closer. A critical component of the satellite – the radar antenna reflector landed in Bengaluru on Thursday.
These moves forward would mark crystal-clear importance in the partnership between ISRO and NASA for one of the most ambitious Earth observation missions undertaken so far.
NASA-ISRO’s NISAR Project
Probably the most important piece of tech for NISAR is the radar antenna reflector, built by NASA and shipped to ISRO’s spacecraft integration and test facility in Bengaluru. It looks like a giant drum-more than 12 meters in diameter. The “focus” for the microwave signals coming to and from Earth will allow for detailed, accurate measurements of environmental change around the globe.
Before it was transported to India, the reflector had undergone several specialized processing works in California. NASA engineers applied reflective tape and took measures to ensure that in case of any temperature rise which may again happen after it reaches space, the reflector will not be damaged and its performance will not be hampered.
This is done to keep the constituent ready as it will be used in space with satellite, from where ISRO facilities will give final assembly.
The NISAR Mission: Studying Earth’s Evolving Topography
The NISAR is to be a NASA and ISRO collaboration, the first and the sharpest Earth observation satellite dedicated to giving scientists and researchers for the first time ever an unparalleled insight into what is happening on Earth’s surface.
In many ways, the outstanding radar system onboard the satellite will form a critical capability to monitor and understand the vast environmental processes in different ecosystems, natural hazards, and climate patterns across the globe.
The main mission for NISAR will be to understand the dynamics of ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice that are already witnessing dramatic shifts in polar regions from the impacts of climate change. For scientists who want to know how these frozen lands work, and its role in global sea-level rise, the data gathered by NISAR will be more than priceless.
Besides monitoring polar ice, NISAR will focus on forest and wetland ecosystems. The satellite will track deforestation and any changes in land use and wetland health. It is an important carbon sink, and any change in size or health may have multiple implications in the regulation of climate and biodiversity.
Besides the interferometric mapping technique, the radar system of NISAR will be able to detect and monitor small movements within the crust as a result of seismic events like earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity. The satellite will therefore provide early warnings that could mean saving lives, thus implementing strategies of more effective disaster response and preparedness.
Ground-Breaking Coverage and Science Data Acquisition
Perhaps few missions have been as dramatically striking as NISAR’s capacity to glimpse nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces. The advanced radar technology used will be able to scan nearly all the planet’s land and ice surfaces twice in 12 days. Scientists will be able to capture changes in the environment with remarkable precision in near-real-time due to this revisit rate.
It operates on two different frequency bands: S- and L-. The one developed by NASA, especially the L-band radar, is very sensitive for penetrating vegetation, ice, and snow and is most ideal for studying forests and glaciers. The S-band radar, developed by ISRO, will complement this because it will provide high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface.
Collecting data at these two frequency bands would allow NISAR to give scientists a complete view of how things are changing both above and below the surface, enabling scientists to conduct research on environmental processes in far more detail than has been possible up to now.
Contribution in Disaster Response
One of the most important contributions of NISAR is in the field of disaster response and management. The space imager will provide authorities with critical data on changes to Earth’s surface prompted by earthquakes, landslides, floods, and volcanic eruptions in a timely manner. That means quicker and more effective disaster responses that may reduce human life and infrastructure damage from these events.
Apart from natural calamity observation, it will also measure other environmental changes that are caused by the movement of tectonic plates, coastal erosion, and human activities such as mining and agriculture.
Global Interagency Opportunity
The NISAR mission is one of the biggest interagency collaborations from NASA and ISRO. Both have brought their unique richness of expertise and technology to the project and are making it a truly global initiative.
The L-band is contributed by NASA associated with its history and experience in space exploration and Earth observation. ISRO has well-equipped satellite development capabilities for cost-effective space missions and developed the S-band radar responsible for satellite final integration and launch.
Scheduled to be launched in 2024, the satellite is to be placed in a near-polar orbit and is likely to cover almost the entire globe during its mission duration.
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar or NISAR mission has reached a critical milestone with the arrival of the radar antenna reflector in Bengaluru.
Once operational, NISAR will offer an unprecedented level of detail and coverage over Earth’s surface, providing invaluable data for understanding climate change, monitoring ecosystems, and enhancing disaster response. This joint mission by NASA and ISRO marks a significant stride for global scientific cooperation, which is sure to have long-lasting impacts on the observation and protection of our Earth.
