The successful launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite marks a transformative milestone in space-based Earth observation, cementing US-India collaboration as a model for global science partnerships.

Costing over $1.5 billion, NISAR stands out as the world’s first Earth-observing satellite to operate with two different synthetic aperture radar (SAR) bands — L-band provided by NASA and S-band by ISRO — carried on a single platform.

Unlike previous single-frequency or multi-satellite solutions, NISAR’s “two-eyed” approach employs both long-wavelength (L-band) and short-wavelength (S-band) radar systems simultaneously, enabling it to penetrate dense forest canopies, measure minute land undulations, and capture larger landscape features like crop fields and water bodies with unprecedented detail.

This breakthrough makes it possible to detect centimetre-scale changes (as subtle as 1 cm) in the vertical movement of the Earth’s surface — a level of precision that will help identify precursors to both natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity) and structural issues in human-built infrastructure.

Operating from a sun-synchronous polar orbit at 747 km altitude, NISAR’s 12-meter dish will unfold in space and scan nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces at frequent intervals, recording global surface conditions twice every 12 days and creating consistent, high-resolution imagery.

Data from NISAR will be processed into three-dimensional maps that not only enable real-time monitoring but also offer rapid global access, with all data being made freely available within hours in emergencies and within one to two days otherwise.

The mission’s potential impact is enormous: it promises to revolutionise climate science, disaster management, and resource monitoring; support agriculture through near-real-time soil moisture and crop analysis; and lead to better prediction and response to events ranging from wildfires to ice sheet collapses.

Equipped with full-polarimetric and interferometric SAR modes, NISAR’s precise repeatable orbit will allow for millimetre-level deformation mapping, crucial for disaster early warning systems and infrastructure health assessment.

In the words of NASA's Earth Science chief, NISAR is “the most sophisticated radar we've ever built and a model for the next generation of Earth-observation capabilities”. Government and industry leaders in both countries emphasise that beyond technical innovation, the mission elevates international space diplomacy, combining advanced American radar technology with India’s engineering and cost-effective launch capabilities.

The project required a decade of joint engineering and integration efforts, resulting in a 2,392-kg satellite that signals a new era in satellite remote sensing and Indo-US technological collaboration. As space minister Jitendra Singh highlighted, NISAR is not just a “jewel radar satellite” but a true “game changer” in the management of disasters and the sustainable stewardship of our planet.

Based On TOI News Report