Context

Recently, ISRO has confirmed that the NISAR Satellite will possess the capability to monitor Earth’s tectonic movements with exceptional precision, achieving accuracy down to the centimeter.

About NISAR Satellite

• Dual-Band Radar Mission: NISAR is the first satellite mission that will collect radar data in two microwave bandwidth ranges:
  • L-band (1-2 GHz, commonly used for satellite communication and remote sensing) and L-band payload is made by the U.S. 
  • S-band (2-4 GHz, commonly used for satellite communication and weather monitoring). S-band payload has been made by the ISRO
• Radar Technology for Earth Imaging: ‘SAR’ (  Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite) is a type of remote-sensing technology that uses radars instead of optical sensors to create high-resolution images of the earth’s surface. It can penetrate clouds and vegetation to generate accurate data.
• Antenna Technology: It has a large deployable antenna with an 18-meter diameter, it has a very high swath.

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Significance of  NISAR Satellite

• Comprehensive Earth Monitoring: It can fully cover the earth in approximately 14 to 15 days, in radar. It can monitor various aspects in very high resolution.
  • For example, it can monitor the tectonic movements to centimeter accuracy. It can accurately measure water bodies.
• Water Stress and Ground Penetration: It can look at water stressing on the earth, wherever there is deficiency of water. It can ground-penetrate to a certain depth. 
• Monitoring Vegetation and snow cover: It is capable of monitoring the vegetation cover and snow cover. It, therefore, basically looks at the whole of the earth in terms of surface, water, greenery and all of that.
• Changes in permafrost: NISAR is programmed to observe global changes in permafrost at regular intervals, updating scientists about its degradation, with implications for global water resources, aquatic ecosystems, coastal water levels, etc.
• Monitoring Forests: NISAR will monitor global forest resources, their extent, and quality and provide information for their sustainable development and management.

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