NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR)
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR)
Why in news?
- NASA and ISRO are collaborating on developing an SUV-sized satellite called NISAR, which will detect movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about half the size of a tennis court.
- The satellite will be launched in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) into a near-polar orbit.
About NISAR
- NISAR is the world’s most expensive Earth-imaging satellite.
- NISAR is dual frequency RADAR, it is an L-band and S-band RADAR.
- Itis the first such satellite using dual frequency RADAR.
- The S-band is being built by ISRO and L-band by NASA.
- lt is expected that the NISAR satellite will be launched in 2022 from India using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
- The NASA is to share 808 million USD for the project and India is to share 110 million USD for the project.
Role of NASA
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA – space agency of the USA) will provide one of the radars for the satellite, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers and a payload data subsystem.
- NISAR will be equipped with the largest reflector antenna ever launched by NASA.
Role of ISRO
- Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) will provide the spacecraft bus, the second type of radar (called the S-band radar), the launch vehicle and associated launch services.
Objectives | NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR)
- One of the main purposes of the mission is to observe Earth and establish a general pathway for future joint missions for Mars exploration
- It will scan the globe every 12 days over the course of its three-year mission of imaging the Earth’s land, ice sheets and sea ice to give an unprecedented view of the planet.
- Tracking subtle changes in the Earth’s surface
- Spotting warning signs of imminent volcanic eruptions
- Helping to monitor groundwater supplies
- Tracking the rate at which ice sheets are melting
- Monitoring Changes in vegetation over land in agriculture and forests.
Benefits
- NISAR’s data can help people worldwide better manage natural resources and hazards, as well as providing information for scientists to better understand the effects and pace of climate change.
- The images will be detailed enough to show local changes and broad enough to measure regional trends.
- As the mission continues for years, the data will allow for better understanding of the causes and consequences of land surface changes.
- It will also add to our understanding of our planet’s hard outer layer, called its crust. NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (NISAR)
ALSO READ : https://www.brainyias.com/precision-agriculture/
