NISAR Mission: NASA & ISRO To Launch Satellite For Forest And Westland Study
By: FPJ Web Desk | October 31, 2023
For a better understanding of the impact of climate change and natural disasters on the Earth's ecosystems, ISRO, in collaboration with NASA, will conduct a mission called NISAR or NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar. The NISAR satellite mission is set to launch in early 2024.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The NISAR mission, with the aid of two radar frequencies, L-band and S-band, will study details of the Earth's global carbon cycle and climate change. The satellite will thoroughly investigate natural disasters and their effects on the environment and the Earth's surface.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
NISAR will also investigate the forest and wetland ecosystems that produce most greenhouse gases. NISAR will track flooding, tracking seasonal and annual variations and long-term trends in wetlands flooding.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The NISAR project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Paul Rosen, said that the radar technology on NISAR will provide a wide stance of the planet in space and time, providing a reliable account of how Earth's land and ice are altering.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The mission will include an L-band synthetic aperture radar, a high-speed data transfer system, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and a NASA-supplied payload data subsystem. ISRO provides the spacecraft bus, the S-band radar, the launch vehicle, and all launch services.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
NISAR reportedly will scan Earth's land and ice surface twice every 12 days, which will aid researchers in investigating the absorption and release of carbon gases.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Forests store carbon in the trees, whereas wetlands store it in organic soil layers. Any interruption to these systems can release carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, leading to global warming.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The scientific data will assist the government in preparing for natural disasters or reducing their impact.