NISAR

Why in News? NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is set to be launched on July 30, 2025, at 5:40 p.m.

Relevance : UPSC Pre &  Mains

Prelims :  NISAR

Mains  : GS3

It will be launched from Sriharikota using the GSLV-F16 rocket.

• This is the first joint Earth observation satellite developed by NASA and ISRO.
• It marks a major Indo-US collaboration after over a decade of joint development efforts.

Key Features

• Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR):

• • L-band SAR (NASA) for deep surface penetration
  • S-band SAR (ISRO) for surface-level observations

• 12-meter unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, the largest of its kind in an ISRO satellite.
• SweepSAR technology used for the first time for broad-area scanning with high resolution.
• Wide coverage: Scans a 242 km swath with high spatial resolution.
• Orbit: Sun-synchronous orbit at 743 km altitude, inclination of 98.4 degrees.
• Observation frequency: Scans the entire Earth every 12 days, providing all-weather, day and night data.
• Satellite weight: 2,392 kg

About NISAR:

NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
It is a unique Earth observation satellite meant to monitor and detect subtle changes on the Earth’s surface.

Applications:

• Ground deformation detection: Earthquakes, landslides, and subsidence
• Ice sheet and glacier monitoring
• Vegetation dynamics and forest monitoring
• Soil moisture assessment for agriculture
• Disaster management: Floods, storms, and cyclones
• Sea ice mapping and ship detection
• Surface water resource mapping
• Coastal and shoreline changes