In a significant development, NASA has confirmed that NISAR is the worlds most advanced and even the costliest earth observation satellite.

This satellite has been developed in collaboration by India and the United States over the past decade. The satellite is now expected to launch in March next year. Previously, the satellite was planned to launch in 2024.

However, with the technical complexities with the satellites 12-meter antenna reflector, it was rescheduled for 2025. It will launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Indias southeastern coast.

About NISAR

The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a collaboration between NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). The purpose behind this launch was to study and observe the moments of the earths surface, like ground, ice, and forest.

Importance of NISAR

This satellite will play a vital role in monitoring the natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, etc. It will also be helpful in tracking the ice sheets, forests, and factors leading to climate change. The NISAR would also help scientists provide data and better management of natural resources like water and soil.

It will also enhance their understanding of the earths crust, its rigid layer, etc. Further, it will also help the global researchers to understand the earths surface on a deeper level, including ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice. It will also monitor the forest and wetlands ecosystem.

Key Features of NISAR

The NISAR uses two types of radar, including (L-band and S- band), this is helpful in capturing sharper and more detailed images of the surface. It also has a large 12-meter antenna to capture high-resolution data. Besides this, it will also provide global coverage of the earths surface regularly, by providing updates every 6 to 12 days. This would be helpful in even dark and adverse weather conditions to detect even the minor surface changes.

Recent Announcements by NASA

In a recent statement, the United States space agency, said, NASA and ISRO are looking at a likely launch date in March 2025. NISAR will scan nearly all of Earths land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days to measure changes in the planets ecosystems, its land and sea ice, and its solid Earth. The NISAR satellite will launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Indias southeastern coast.

Development of NISAR

The 2.8-ton NISAR Satellites development began in 2014, following an agreement between India and the US in 2014. It is designed to monitor planetary changes, particularly within the earths surface. The satellite is being developed with an estimated cost of INR 5,800 crore. This is the first global satellite featuring dual-frequency radar (L-band and ISROs S-band), which ensures an unmatched data frequency.

In October 2024, the satellites main components were shipped from the US to India, which was a major logistical achievement. However, due to some technical issues with its 12-meter radar antenna reflector, the mission experienced several months of delay.