NASA and ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, a collaborative Earth-observation project between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is set to launch from India in early 2025.
Design to track movements of the Earth’s surface, the mission will focus on areas vulnerable to natural hazards, including earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes.
By capturing data on surface shifts down to fractions of an inch, NISAR will provide critical insights into Earth’s dynamics, potentially aiding in natural disaster response and infrastructure monitoring.
According to official report from NASA, the NiSAR satellite will be equip with advance L-band and S-band radar systems.
As per report, the satellite will survey nearly all of Earth’s land and ice-cover regions twice every 12 days.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California has develop the L-band radar system, which can penetrate dense vegetation and monitor surface shifts and ISRO’s S-band radar enhances imaging capabilities.
Operating continuously, day or night, and unaffect by clouds, NISAR is design to gather comprehensive data, according to Cathleen Jones, the mission’s applications lead at JPL.
According to report, the satellite’s ability to reveal subtle ground movement offers a valuable tool for monitoring earthquake-prone areas.
Mark Simons, US Solid Earth Science Lead for the project, emphasise that NISAR will not predict earthquakes but could identify regions where faults are lock and more likely to slip.
NISAR’s ongoing data collection over time will support infrastructure assessment, particularly for dams, levees, and aqueducts.
Observing changes in these structures will enable resource managers to detect specific areas requiring closer inspection, reducing the cost and resources need for manual checks.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’s levees could be remotely monitor for earthquake-related damages.
This mission, an equal partnership between NASA and ISRO, also marks the first joint effort on Earth-observing technology.
NASA contributes mission-specific components, including radar systems and communication subsystems, while ISRO oversees the satellite bus, launch services, and mission operations.
The mission’s data is expect to strengthen understanding of Earth’s movements, benefiting global research and infrastructure safety efforts.
