NASA-ISRO’s NISAR arrives in India: Touchdown in Bangalore

The satellite is the result of a collaboration between the American space agency NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Bangalore: The US Air Force on Wednesday handed over an Earth observation satellite NISAR built by NASA and ISRO to the Indian space agency, marking a milestone in US-India relations in space cooperation. “Touchdown in Bangalore! @ISRO receives NISAR (@NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) on a @USAirforce C-17 from @NASAJPL in California, setting the stage for final integration of Earth observation satellites, a true symbol of #USIndia citizen space cooperation,” US Consulate General Chennai tweeted.

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The satellite is the result of a collaboration between the American space agency NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

NISAR will be used by ISRO for agricultural mapping and landslide-prone areas. The satellite is expected to be launched into a near-polar orbit in 2024 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Andhra Pradesh.

What is NISAR?

NISAR is jointly developed by the US and India. It consists of two separate radars – long-range (L) developed by American scientists and S-band by Indian scientists. Both were then taken to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where they were assembled into one unit. It has now been brought to India for final launch on GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle).

NISAR has the ability to capture subtle changes on Earth and will also provide the ability to see through dense cloud cover. “NISAR will provide critical information on the Earth’s crust, ice sheets and ecosystems. By providing measurements with unprecedented precision, NISAR’s promise is new understanding and positive impact on communities. Our collaboration with ISRO exemplifies how we can tackle complex challenges together. What’s possible,” says the NASA website.

NISAR will collect radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna about 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to monitor changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces down to a fraction of an inch.