NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

ISRO, India’s space agency, and NASA, its American counterpart, are preparing for an exciting collaboration later this year. They’re launching a radar satellite called the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission, or NISAR for short. This joint mission will be collecting valuable data about our planet.

Collecting Critical Earth Data: The goal of the NISAR mission is to gather essential information about Earth. This includes tracking the health of wetlands and observing any ground deformation caused by volcanic activity. It will also monitor land and sea ice dynamics all over the world.
Understanding Cryosphere Motion and Deformation: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has emphasized the role of the NISAR mission in enhancing our understanding of Earth’s cryosphere. The cryosphere refers to all the areas of our planet covered by ice and snow. NISAR will provide the most detailed understanding of these areas’ motion and deformation we’ve ever had.
Launching the Satellite: ISRO is planning to launch NISAR from southern India in 2024. The satellite has been designed to monitor almost all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces. It will do this twice every 12 days, providing an incredibly frequent collection of data.
The Technology Behind NISAR: To enhance its observational capabilities, NISAR will be equipped with two radars. The first, an L-band system, has a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength. The second, an S-band system, has a 4-inch (10-centimeter) wavelength. This combination will significantly boost the satellite’s ability to collect and analyze data.
Understanding Ice Loss with NISAR: NASA’s NISAR will help us better understand how quickly ice is melting and will play a crucial role in predicting sea level rise. This is especially important for anticipating the impacts of climate change.
Keeping an Eye on Antarctic Ice: NISAR will keep a close watch on the movement of ice from Antarctica’s high regions to the sea. The data it collects will allow scientists to study the complex relationship between ice and the ocean.
A Time-Lapse View of Ice Sheets: The satellite will also create a sort of ‘time-lapse film’ of ice sheets, providing a consistent view of how they move. This feature is crucial to predicting how these ice sheets could behave in the future, according to Ian Joughin, the NISAR cryosphere lead.
Monitoring Mountain Glaciers: Aside from polar ice, NISAR will also track changes in mountain glaciers. These glaciers have been a significant factor in sea level rise since the 1960s. They supply water for many people living downstream, and their melting trends have a direct impact on the likelihood of severe floods.
Overcoming Weather Challenges in the Himalayas: The satellite’s ability to work in all weather conditions is a significant advantage, especially in regions like the Himalayas, where clouds often obstruct data collection. Sushil Kumar Singh, a glaciologist at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, believes that NISAR will provide a more accurate and comprehensive data set than other instruments.
Exploring Sea Ice Dynamics: NISAR is set to be a game changer in our understanding of polar sea ice. The mission focuses on the ever-changing Arctic sea ice and the Antarctic sea ice, which has remained relatively stable but shown recent declines. These icy regions play a big role in the world’s climate, making them key areas of study.
Unprecedented Coverage: What sets NISAR apart is its extensive focus on the Southern Ocean. This mission will offer a level of coverage that hasn’t been seen before, potentially leading to groundbreaking insights about these critical regions.
A Unique Collaboration: This mission marks a significant first: a hardware development collaboration on such a large scale between NASA and ISRO for studying Earth. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under NASA, will take charge of the US component, providing the mission’s L-band SAR.
ISRO’s Role: ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre and Space Applications Centre will come in with some significant contributions. They’re responsible for supplying the spacecraft bus, the launch vehicle, and the S-band SAR electronics.

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

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