{"id":558480,"date":"2026-07-25T05:12:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T05:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/558480\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T05:12:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T05:12:27","slug":"nisar-s-band-sar-data-products-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/558480\/","title":{"rendered":"NISAR S-Band SAR Data Products Release"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n July 24, 2026<\/p>\n

\n The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a groundbreaking Earth
\n observation initiative providing unprecedented insights into our planet’s
\n dynamic surfaces. As the world’s first spaceborne radar mission to employ
\n dual-frequency (L-band and S-band) instrumentation, NISAR utilizes an advanced
\n 12-meter reflector and innovative SweepSAR acquisition technology. This
\n architecture allows the observatory to achieve an exceptional combination of
\n wide-swath (~240 km) and high-resolution imaging without traditional coverage
\n trade-offs. Operating in a 747 km Sun-synchronous orbit, NISAR provides
\n persistent, all-weather global coverage with a rapid 12-day repeat cycle,
\n generating a dense time-series of data essential for monitoring rapid
\n environmental changes, geohazards, and resource management.\n <\/p>\n

\n The mission is currently in science operations phase, acquiring data across
\n global observation tracks as per the Reference Observation Plan, with S-band SAR
\n data being acquired through ISRO ground stations and subsequent data processing,
\n archival, and dissemination being carried out at the Integrated Multi-Mission
\n Ground Segment for Earth Observation Satellites (IMGEOS), Shadnagar, NRSC.\n <\/p>\n

\n Calibration and Validation (Cal\/Val) activities are systematically performed
\n using the PAN India Corner Reflector (CR) network, homogeneous distributed
\n targets, and selected science targets to establish and maintain baseline
\n radiometric, geometric, and polarimetric consistency across all acquisition
\n geometries.\n <\/p>\n

S-Band SAR data Products Release\n <\/p>\n

\n ISRO has released the NISAR S-Band SAR daily processed data products through
\n Bhoonidhi, ISRO\u2019S EO data dissemination hub (https:\/\/bhoonidhi.nrsc.gov.in).
\n This data comprises of S band SAR collections over Indian land mass along with
\n global locations spanning across diverse NISAR science themes.\n <\/p>\n

Onward Processing Release (Cycle 25 Onwards): Starting with
\n Cycle 25
\n (commenced July 8, 2026), all acquired S-Band SAR products are
\n systematically generated from the operational production environment and
\n made directly available for user download.<\/p>\n

Historical Dataset Reprocessing: Datasets acquired prior to
\n Cycle 25 will
\n undergo systematic reprocessing in phased manner and will be added to
\n archives.<\/p>\n

Product Version Baseline: Current released datasets are
\n with Product
\n Baseline version (Baseline v1.4.0
\n CRID P00500)<\/p>\n

Following S-band SAR data products are being
\n released\n <\/p>\n

Standard Products<\/p>\n

L1-RSLC: Range-Doppler Single Look Complex
\n L2-GSLC: Geocoded SLC
\n L2-GCOV: Geocoded Polarimetric Covariance Matrix<\/p>\n

Interferometric Products\n <\/p>\n

L1-RIFG: Nearest-Time Interferogram
\n L1-RUNW: Nearest-Time Unwrapped Interferogram
\n L2-GUNW: Geocoded Nearest-Time Unwrapped Interferogram<\/p>\n

Offset Products<\/p>\n

L1-ROFF: Range-Doppler Pixel Offsets
\n L2-GOFF: Geocoded Pixel Offset Produc<\/p>\n

Accessing NISAR data through Bhoonidhi<\/p>\n

\n NISAR data products are disseminated through Bhoonidhi, ISRO\u2019s Earth Observation
\n data dissemination hub (https:\/\/bhoonidhi.nrsc.gov.in).
\n Registered users can
\n access the Browse&Order interface to search, visualize, and download available
\n NISAR products by specifying the area of interest, acquisition period, product
\n type and NISAR data specify advanced filters. Level-1 and Level-2 products are
\n available for access for data covering diverse NISAR science themes in
\n accordance with the ISRO observation plan. Programmatic access is also supported
\n through the Bhoonidhi API for authorized users. The portal serves as the primary
\n distribution platform for NISAR S-band data products and a dedicated NISAR
\n information page is made available containing associated documentation, product
\n specifications, calibration status, and release updates for users
\n (https:\/\/bhoonidhi.nrsc.gov.in\/NISAR).\n <\/p>\n

Calibration Status<\/p>\n

\n The current data product release incorporates the latest radiometric, geometric,
\n and polarimetric calibrations derived from in-flight Cal\/Val activities.
\n Calibration parameters and algorithm enhancements will continue to evolve over
\n the operational lifetime of the mission, with updates notified to the user
\n community as processing baselines advance.\n <\/p>\n

Users may observe residual radiometric banding in low
\n signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regions such as oceans, deserts, and other
\n homogeneous surfaces in this version of products. Although, RFI mitigation has
\n been applied to all scenes, residual RFI artifacts may still be present in
\n certain areas, for which improvements are planned in future releases.\n <\/p>\n

Tools at Bhoonidhi for NISAR data<\/p>\n

To facilitate seamless data handling and scientific analysis
\n without extensive local processing overheads, Bhoonidhi provides an integrated
\n suite of user utilities:\n <\/p>\n

HDF to GTiff Tool: Utility providing format conversion of
\n NISAR HDF5 datasets
\n into GeoTIFF and Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) formats, with option for
\n spatial sub-setting by point coordinates or user-defined shapefiles.
\n SARPOL TOOL: A QGIS-integrated processing suite supporting
\n NISAR format
\n conversions along with Hybrid and Full Polarimetric decomposition techniques
\n for SAR data analysis.<\/p>\n

\n Explore & Access Datasets: Search, visualize, convert,
\n and download NISAR S-Band products directly on
\n
\n ISRO’s Bhoonidhi Portal \u2192
\n <\/a>
\n
\n https:\/\/bhoonidhi.nrsc.gov.in
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n

\n NISAR_S2_PR_GCOV_024_084_A_007_3700_DHNA_A_20260702T001555_20260702T001631_P00500_P_F_I_001\n <\/p>\n

\"AOI:<\/p>\n

AOI: Nagapattinam
\n district,
\n Tamil Nadu\n <\/p>\n

FCC Legend<\/p>\n

Red- HH\n <\/p>\n

Green \u2013 HV\n <\/p>\n

Blue \u2013 HH \/
\n HV<\/p>\n

\n This false-color composite (FCC) derived from NISAR S-SAR data in HH+HV
\n polarization highlights vegetation (green), land (purple), and water
\n bodies (dark) across the East coastal region. The composite enhances the
\n discrimination of mangroves, agricultural fields, wetlands, and coastal
\n lagoons based on their radar backscatter characteristics. The image was
\n acquired on 2 July 2026, providing valuable information for coastal
\n resource management and environmental monitoring.\n <\/p>\n

\n NISAR_S2_PR_GCOV_025_026_D_125_3700_SHNA_A_20260710T004942_20260710T005015_P00500_M_P_I_001\n <\/p>\n

\"AOI:<\/p>\n

AOI: East, Antarctica\n <\/p>\n

\n This NISAR S-SAR GCOV image, acquired on 10 July 2026, captures a
\n coastal region of East Antarctica, showing glacier terrain, an extensive
\n ice sheet, drifting sea-ice floes, and the surrounding Southern Ocean.
\n The strong radar backscatter from the ice features contrasts with the
\n darker open water, enabling clear discrimination of different
\n cryospheric components. This scene demonstrates the capability of S-band
\n SAR for monitoring Antarctic ice dynamics, sea-ice distribution, and
\n glacier\u2013ocean interactions.\n <\/p>\n

\n NISAR_S2_PR_GCOV_025_019_D_075_2500_CRNA_A_20260709T124208_20260709T124245_P00500_M_F_I_001\n <\/p>\n

\"AOI:<\/p>\n

AOI: Brahmaputra
\n River, Assam\n <\/p>\n

Polarimetric
\n Decomposition Legend<\/p>\n

Red – Even
\n Bounce\n <\/p>\n

Green –
\n Volume\n <\/p>\n

Blue – Odd
\n Bounce<\/p>\n

\n This Hybrid Polarimetric M-\u03b4 (M-Delta) decomposition image derived from
\n NISAR S-SAR data captured on 09th July 2026 represents the
\n Brahmaputra River basin through dominant scattering mechanisms. Surface
\n scattering (blue) is prominent over the river channels and smooth water
\n surfaces, double-bounce scattering (red) is associated with built-up
\n features and vegetation\u2013water interactions, while volume scattering
\n (green) highlights vegetated floodplains and surrounding forested areas.
\n The decomposition enhances the characterization of hydrological and
\n land-cover features, supporting floodplain mapping and environmental
\n monitoring.\n <\/p>\n

\n NISAR_S2_PR_GCOV_025_013_D_067_3700_DHNA_A_20260709T023820_20260709T023857_P00500_M_F_I_001\n <\/p>\n

\"AOI:<\/p>\n

AOI: Idaho, USA\n <\/p>\n

FCC Legend<\/p>\n

Red – HH\n <\/p>\n

Green – HV\n <\/p>\n

Blue – HH \/
\n HV<\/p>\n

\n This false-color composite (FCC) derived from NISAR S-SAR data which is
\n acquired on 09 July 2026 in HH+HV polarization highlights vegetation
\n (green), cultivated land (purple), and water bodies (dark) across the
\n Burley agricultural region in Idaho, USA. Variations in radar
\n backscatter enable clear identification of center-pivot irrigation
\n systems, agricultural fields, and surrounding terrain. The image
\n supports precision agriculture, irrigation monitoring, and sustainable
\n land resource management.\n <\/p>\n

\n NISAR_S2_PR_GCOV_025_143_A_043_2500_CRNA_A_20260718T024931_20260718T025004_P00500_M_F_I_001\n <\/p>\n

\"AOI:<\/p>\n

AOI: Greenland\n <\/p>\n

Polarimetric
\n Decomposition Legend<\/p>\n

Red – Even
\n Bounce\n <\/p>\n

Green –
\n Volume\n <\/p>\n

Blue – Odd
\n Bounce<\/p>\n

\n This Hybrid Polarimetric M-Chi decomposition image derived from NISAR
\n S-SAR hybrid Polarimetric data highlights the dominant scattering
\n mechanisms across Northeast Greenland National Park acquired on 18 July
\n 2026. Surface scattering (blue) is prominent over smooth water surfaces
\n and ice streams, double-bounce scattering (red) is associated with rough
\n exposed terrain and ice\u2013rock interfaces, while volume scattering (green)
\n represents tundra vegetation and heterogeneous land surfaces. The
\n decomposition enhances the characterization of cryospheric and
\n hydrological features, supporting glacier monitoring, ice dynamics, and
\n environmental change assessment.\n <\/p>\n

\n NISAR_S2_PR_GCOV_025_024_A_173_3700_DHNA_A_20260709T215709_20260709T215746_P00500_M_F_I_001\n <\/p>\n

\"AOI:\u00a0Indonesia\"<\/p>\n

AOI:\u00a0Indonesia\n <\/p>\n

FCC Legend<\/p>\n

Red – HH\n <\/p>\n

Green –
\n HV\n <\/p>\n

Blue – HH \/
\n HV<\/p>\n

\n This false-color composite (FCC), generated from the NISAR S-band GCOV
\n product acquired on 9 July 2026 in HH+HV, highlights dense vegetation
\n (green), sparsely vegetated and exposed volcanic terrain (purple), and
\n water bodies (dark) across Mount Rinjani National Park, Indonesia. The
\n composite enhances the discrimination of forest cover, volcanic
\n landforms, and the crater lake through variations in radar backscatter
\n characteristics. The image provides valuable information for ecosystem
\n monitoring, volcanic terrain mapping, and environmental change
\n assessment.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"July 24, 2026 The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is a groundbreaking Earth observation initiative providing unprecedented…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":558481,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[85,46,253045,141,145],"class_list":["post-558480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-nisar-s-band-sar-data-products-release","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=558480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/558480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/558481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=558480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=558480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=558480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}