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<\/a><\/figure>The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing radar satellite\u2019s first images of our planet\u2019s surface are in, and they offer a glimpse of things to come as the joint mission between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) approaches full science operations later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaunched under President Trump in conjunction with India, NISAR\u2019s first images are a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around a shared vision of innovation and discovery,\u201d said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. \u201cThis is only the beginning. NASA will continue to build upon the incredible scientific advancements of the past and present as we pursue our goal to maintain our nation\u2019s space dominance through Gold Standard Science.\u201d<\/p>\n
Images from the spacecraft, which was launched<\/a> by ISRO on July 30, display the level of detail with which NISAR scans Earth to provide unique, actionable information to decision-makers in a diverse range of areas, including disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and agricultural management.<\/p>\n \u201cBy understanding how our home planet works, we can produce models and analysis of how other planets in our solar system and beyond work as we prepare to send humanity on an epic journey back to the Moon and onward to Mars,\u201d said NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. \u201cThe successful capture of these first images from NISAR is a remarkable example of how partnership and collaboration between two nations, on opposite sides of the world, can achieve great things together for the benefit of all.\u201d<\/p>\n On Aug. 21, the satellite\u2019s L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, which was provided by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, captured Mount Desert Island on the Maine coast. Dark areas represent water, while green areas are forest, and magenta areas are hard or regular surfaces, such as bare ground and buildings. The L-band radar system can resolve objects as small as 15 feet (5 meters), enabling the image to display narrow waterways cutting across the island, as well as the islets dotting the waters around it.<\/p>\n Then, on Aug. 23, the L-band SAR captured data of a portion of northeastern North Dakota straddling Grand Forks and Walsh counties. The image shows forests and wetlands on the banks of the Forest River passing through the center of the frame from west to east and farmland to the north and south. The dark agricultural plots show fallow fields, while the lighter colors represent the presence of pasture or crops, such as soybean and corn. Circular patterns indicate the use of center-pivot irrigation.<\/p>\n The images demonstrate how the L-band SAR can discern what type of land cover \u2014 low-lying vegetation, trees, and human structures \u2014 is present in each area. This capability is vital both for monitoring the gain and loss of forest and wetland ecosystems, as well as for tracking the progress of crops through growing seasons around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThese initial images are just a preview of the hard-hitting science that NISAR will produce \u2014 data and insights that will enable scientists to study Earth\u2019s changing land and ice surfaces in unprecedented detail while equipping decision-makers to respond to natural disasters and other challenges,\u201d said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cThey are also a testament to the years of hard work of hundreds of scientists and engineers from both sides of the world to build an observatory with the most advanced radar system ever launched by NASA and ISRO.\u201d<\/p>\n The L-band system uses a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength that enables its signal to penetrate forest canopies and measure soil moisture and motion of ice surfaces and land down to fractions of an inch, which is a key measurement in understanding how the land surface moves before, during, and after earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.<\/p>\n The preliminary L-band images are an example of what the mission team will be able to produce when the science phase begins in November. The satellite was raised into its operational 464-mile (747-kilometer) orbit in mid-September.<\/p>\n The NISAR mission also includes an S-band radar, provided by ISRO\u2019s Space Applications Centre, that uses a 4-inch (10-centimeter) microwave signal that is more sensitive to small vegetation, making it effective at monitoring certain types of agriculture and grassland ecosystems.<\/p>\n The spacecraft is the first to carry both L- and S-band radars. The satellite will monitor Earth\u2019s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, collecting data using the spacecraft\u2019s drum-shaped antenna reflector<\/a>, which measures 39 feet (12 meters) wide \u2014 the largest NASA has ever sent into space.<\/p>\n The NISAR mission is a partnership between NASA and ISRO spanning years of technical and programmatic collaboration. The successful launch and deployment of NISAR builds on a strong heritage of cooperation between the United States and India in space.<\/p>\n The Space Applications Centre provided the mission\u2019s S-band SAR. The U R Rao Satellite Centre provided the spacecraft bus. The launch vehicle was provided by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, and launch services were through Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Key operations, including boom and radar antenna reflector deployment, are now being executed and monitored by the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network\u2019s global system of ground stations.<\/p>\n Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, NASA JPL leads the U.S. component of the project. In addition to the L-band SAR, reflector, and boom, JPL also provided the high-rate communication subsystem for science data, a solid-state data recorder, and payload data subsystem. NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Near Space Network, which receives NISAR\u2019s L-band data.<\/p>\n To learn more about NISAR, visit:<\/p>\n https:\/\/nisar.jpl.nasa.gov<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Liz Vlock Andrew Wang \/ Jane J. Lee<\/a><\/figure>
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 \/ 818-354-0307
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a> \/ jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n