NISAR Mission
7/30/2025
NISAR aims to enhance coverage and visibility for regions with extensive forest cover.
NISAR is designed such that both L-band and S-band can work simultaneously to achieve mission goals.
NASA and ISRO have integrated joint Level 1 requirements for NISAR to conduct emergency observations after natural or human disasters worldwide.
NASA Director of Earth Sciences Karen Germain noted that NISAR will help scientists better understand other planets, including Venus.
NISAR is the first free-flying Earth observation satellite to utilize dual-frequency SAR technology.
The NISAR antenna reflector launched in a folded state and is constructed from a gold-plated mesh.
The S-band radar on NISAR provides more accurate readings of shorter vegetation such as bushes and shrubs.
NISAR will support detailed studies of subsidence, swelling, and movements linked to melting of glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica.
NASA had been considering development of Earth observation satellites like NISAR since 2007.
ISRO launched NISAR on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk II).
NISAR is a joint satellite project developed by NASA and ISRO.
ISRO used a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk II) to launch NISAR.
The NASA-built 12-meter antenna reflector on NISAR was launched in a folded state and uses a gold-plated mesh.
The development and launch of NISAR took about a decade from design and development to fruition.
The NISAR satellite weighed 2,392 kilograms at launch.
It will take around 90 days for NISAR to become fully operational after launch.
NISAR is designed to revisit the same ground location every 12 days.
NISAR is expected to take around 90 days after launch to become fully operational.
NISAR is designed to support detailed studies of subsidence, swelling, and movements linked to glacier and ice sheet melting in Greenland and Antarctica.
NISAR, a joint NASA-ISRO mission, is scheduled for 2025 and will map the planet every 12 days with L and S band radar.