Key Points

Equipped with dual radar systems, NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band--NISAR will map the Earth every 12 days from two vantage points, providing high-resolution data on Earth's surface movements, ecosystem changes, and cryosphere dynamics, regardless of weather or time of day.

"Data is available for the instrument that NASA built, the L band radar at the Alaska satellite facility, through their web interface, very easy to get to and very easy to access the data. The data for the S-band ISRO instrument will be available at BHUVAN-2D, through the ISRO portal at NRSC," he said.

Describing NISAR as a "watershed mission," Paul Rosen said, "It's a first-of-its-kind mission with two powerful radar systems, delivering reliable, all-weather data for disaster management, agricultural crop health, forest management, and a wide range of scientific applications."

Data from NASA's L-band radar is accessible via the Alaska Satellite Facility's web interface, while ISRO's S-band data will be available through the BHUVAN-2D portal at the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ensuring easy access for the global scientific community.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Paul Rosen praised the partnership with ISRO: "Working with scientists at ISRO's Space Applications Centre, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, and NRSC was scientifically rewarding and truly enjoyable. The Indian scientific community excels at turning fundamental science into practical applications, surpassing NASA's focus on basic research. We've gained invaluable insights from our Indian colleagues on creating actionable products from data."

The NISAR mission, a landmark in ISRO-NASA cooperation, is set to redefine Earth observation.

A joint mission of NASA and ISRO, the Earth satellite launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India's southeastern coast aboard an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket at 5.40 pm on Wednesday.

NISAR launched into orbit onboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F16. Usually, PSLV was utilised for such an orbit, and this is the first time that a GSLV rocket was injecting a satellite into a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.

- ANI