Scientists will soon have a space tool for studying environmental changes at very high resolution, and you won’t have to wait long to learn more about it. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a question and answer session. session today (February 3) at 5 pm ET to discuss NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR), an Earth mapping satellite built in conjunction with the Indian Space Research Organization. It won’t launch from India until early 2024 and is scheduled to run for three years, but it includes innovative technology that could help understand Earth and cope with natural disasters.
NISAR is the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequencies (the L and S microwave bands). This will allow you to systematically map the Earth’s crust in exceptional detail: it can detect changes less than 1 cm (0.4 inches) across. That will allow NISAR to observe even the subtlest nuances of earthquakes, tsunamis, and other disasters. It will also help monitor long-term processes, including crustal evolution, ecosystem disturbances, and ice sheet collapse.
See NISAR in @NASAJPLclean room today at 5 pm ET (2200 UTC). Scheduled to launch from India in 2024, it will measure the movement of Earth’s surfaces to provide insights into trends affecting global challenges like food security. https://t.co/6Hi8AyIQ1D
—NASA (@NASA) February 3, 2023
Access to data will also play an important role. NISAR offers worldwide coverage every 12 days, making time-based imagery more convenient. The mission team expects to make the data publicly available in a day or two, but can deliver that data in a matter of hours in an emergency. Anyone who is willing to analyze the information can make use of it.
With an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion, NISAR is expected to be the most expensive Earth imaging satellite to date. However, the investment may be worth it. Satellite data could help governments react and prepare for natural disasters, and improve humanity’s understanding of climate change and threats to food security.
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