NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

About NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR):

• NISAR is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory jointly developed by NASA and ISRO. 
• It is an SUV-size satellite weighing 2,800 kilograms.
• It consists of both L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments, which makes it a dual-frequency imaging radar satellite.
• NISAR will be the first satellite mission to use two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet's surface.
• SAR is capable of penetrating clouds and can collect data day and night regardless of the weather conditions.
• NASA has provided the L-band radar, GPS, a high-capacity solid-state recorder to store data, and a payload data subsystem. ISRO has provided the S-band radar, the GSLV launch system, and spacecraft.
• It also consists of a large 39-foot stationary antenna reflector made of a gold-plated wire mesh which will be used to focus “the radar signals emitted and received by the upward-facing feed on the instrument structure.
• Mission Objectives:
  • It will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses, providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater.
  • NISAR will observe Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces globally with 12-day regularity on ascending and descending passes.