NASA-ISRO imaging satellite arrives in India from US for 2024 launch by Indian GSLV rocket

The payload of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) imaging satellite arrived in Bengaluru, on a US Air Force C17 Globemaster III strategic airlift plane.

The satellite payload that was flown in from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, will be taken to India's UR Rao Satellite Center in Bengaluru, where the payload will be integrated into the satellite bus (structure) and undergo further testing.

In February, top officials from ISRO and NASA conducted the ceremonial flagging off for the satellite payload from JPL, California. The announcement of the satellite having arrived in India was shared by the US Consulate General, Chennai.

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NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory jointly developed by the American and Indian space agencies. It is meant to carry L and S, dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a highly powerful, all-weather, day and night means of imaging from space, that can help researchers and scientists observe minute changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces, down to fractions of an inch.

Since early 2021, engineers and technicians at JPL have been integrating and testing NISAR’s two radar systems – the L-band SAR provided by JPL and the S-band SAR built by ISRO.

JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem.

ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations.

NISAR will gather radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna almost 40 feet (12 metres) in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to observe changes on Earth, which can be used to predict natural disasters, and track climate change.

"The observations NISAR makes will help researchers measure the ways in which Earth is constantly changing by detecting both subtle and dramatic movements. Slow-moving variations of a land surface can precede earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and data about such movement could help communities prepare for natural hazards. Measurements of melting sea ice and ice sheets will improve understanding of the pace and impacts of climate change, including sea level rise" said NASA.

Over the course of its three-year prime mission, the satellite will observe nearly the entire planet every 12 days, making observations day and night, in all weather conditions. “Today, we come one step closer to fulfilling the immense scientific potential NASA and ISRO envisioned for NISAR when we joined forces more than eight years ago,” Chairman, ISRO, Dr. S. Somanath had said earlier.

During the flag-off ceremony, JPL Director, Laurie Leshin said, "By delivering measurements at unprecedented precision, NISAR’s promise is a new understanding and positive impact in communities. Our collaboration with ISRO exemplifies what’s possible when we tackle complex challenges together."

With the SUV-sized satellite payload having arrived on Indian soil in a special cargo container, after a 9,000-mile(14,000-kilometer) flight, the key responsibilities will henceforth be carried out by ISRO. The NISAR satellite is expected to be launched in early 2024 from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state, on board a GSLV rocket.

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