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Built through a rare U.S.-India partnership, this spacecraft is packed with new radar technology that can scan deep into forests, farmlands, and even under layers of ice. <\/p>\n
Its main job is to watch how Earth changes over time \u2013 and give scientists and decision-makers the data they need to act.<\/p>\n
NISAR begins its mission<\/p>\n
In late August, NISAR\u2019s radar systems turned on for a series of test runs. The satellite<\/a>, launched by India\u2019s space agency on July 30, 2025, is now orbiting Earth at an altitude of 464 miles (747 kilometers). <\/p>\n The first test images captured by NISAR are truly impressive.<\/p>\n One image captured Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine. Dark patches in the radar image show water, green areas indicate forests, and bright magenta highlights hard surfaces like buildings or bare ground. <\/p>\n Narrow waterways and tiny islands stand out clearly, even though they are only a few feet wide. That level of detail demonstrates how sharp NISAR\u2019s sensors are.<\/p>\n Another test image shows a piece of northeastern North Dakota, cutting through Grand Forks and Walsh counties. The radar picked up forests and wetlands<\/a> lining the Forest River, plus farmland stretching north and south. <\/p>\n Circular irrigation patterns are visible, along with differences in crop type \u2013 some areas were fallow, while others were growing soybeans or corn.<\/p>\n Unlike satellites that rely on cameras, NISAR uses radar<\/a> to scan Earth\u2019s surface. It sends out microwave signals that bounce off the ground and return to the satellite. <\/p>\n The timing and strength of those signals help reveal conditions on the ground \u2013 such as soil moisture, forest density, or changes in ice levels at the poles.<\/p>\n NISAR carries two radar systems on board: L-band and S-band<\/a>. The L-band radar, built by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL<\/a>), uses a longer wavelength \u2013 about 10 inches (25 centimeters) \u2013 which lets it \u201csee\u201d through forest canopies and pick up even the smallest shifts in the ground.<\/p>\n That kind of detail helps scientists track things, like earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic activity, before and after they happen.<\/p>\n The S-band radar, developed by India\u2019s Space Applications Centre, focuses on finer vegetation. It\u2019s better suited for monitoring crops, grasses, and changes in farmland over time.<\/p>\n With both radar types working together, NISAR will scan the planet\u2019s land and ice surfaces every six days, twice in that cycle. It does all this using a massive 39-foot (12-meter) wide antenna \u2013 the biggest of its kind that NASA has ever put into orbit.<\/p>\n Rare global partnership<\/p>\n The mission is the result of years of technical work between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO<\/a>). Their teams shared not only the science but also the engineering work. <\/p>\n ISRO built the spacecraft\u2019s<\/a> body and launch systems, while NASA handled the radar systems and data communications.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is only the beginning. NASA will continue to build upon the incredible scientific advancements of the past and present as we pursue our goal to maintain our nation\u2019s space dominance through gold standard science,\u201d said acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy.<\/p>\n With the full science phase set to begin in November, expectations are high. <\/p>\n \u201cThese initial images are just a preview of the hard-hitting science that NISAR will produce \u2013 data and insights that will enable scientists to study Earth\u2019s changing land and ice surfaces in unprecedented detail,\u201d said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.<\/p>\n The benefits will extend beyond Earth science. Understanding how land shifts, how ecosystems change, and how water cycles function could help scientists make better predictions about other planets as well.<\/p>\n \u201cBy understanding how our home planet works, we can produce models and analysis of how other planets<\/a> in our solar system and beyond work, as we prepare to send humanity on an epic journey back to the Moon and onward to Mars,\u201d said NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya.<\/p>\n NISAR\u2019s early images aren\u2019t just snapshots \u2013 they\u2019re signals of what\u2019s coming. A spacecraft designed to quietly orbit Earth is about to become one of the loudest voices in global science. And it\u2019s just getting started.I<\/p>\n Information from a NASA online press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Image credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.\u00a0<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The most advanced Earth radar satellite ever launched, NISAR\u2019s first test images are already showing how it could…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":186432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[64,63,128,285],"class_list":{"0":"post-204998","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-space"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Captured](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/isro-satellite_forest-monitoring_mount-desert-island_NASA_1s.webp.webp\")
<\/a>Captured on Aug. 21, 2025, this image from NISAR\u2019s L-band radar shows Maine\u2019s Mount Desert Island. Green indicates forest; magenta represents hard or regular surfaces, like bare ground and buildings. The magenta area on the island\u2019s northeast end is the town of Bar Harbor. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA\/JPL-CaltechWhat makes NISAR different?<\/p>\n![\"On](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/isro-satellite_forest-monitoring_north-dakota-forest-river_NASA_1s.webp.webp\")
<\/a>On Aug. 23, 2025, NISAR imaged land adjacent to northeastern North Dakota\u2019s Forest River. Light-colored wetlands and forests line the river\u2019s banks, while circular and rectangular plots throughout the image appear in shades that indicate the land may be pasture or cropland with corn or soy. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA\/JPL-CaltechBigger goals beyond Earth<\/p>\n