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Quick scan: NISAR, the NASA-ISRO radar satellite

7 November 2026 · ⏱ 2 ମିନିଟ · GS3: Space technology

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ଖବରରେ କାହିଁକି?

Two radar bands on one satellite: what NISAR's NASA-ISRO SAR means for GS3 space technology

NISAR is the joint NASA-ISRO radar mission for Earth observation.

Why it matters: general awareness

Quick scan: NISAR, the NASA-ISRO radar satellite
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
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What you need to know

2 ମିନିଟ

NISAR is an Earth-observation satellite built jointly by NASA and ISRO.

It carries synthetic aperture radar and maps changes in land, ice and vegetation across the globe.

ଉତ୍ସ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)

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ମୁଖ୍ୟ ତଥ୍ୟ

Remember these

  • NISAR = NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a joint Earth-observation mission.
  • It carries two radars: L-band (built by NASA/JPL) and S-band (built by ISRO).
  • Synthetic aperture radar images day and night and through cloud cover.
  • Launched in July 2025 by ISRO's GSLV from Sriharikota into a sun-synchronous polar orbit.
  • It tracks changes in land, ice and vegetation, including ecosystems, ice sheets and natural hazards.
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ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ · ମେନ୍ସ

How the exam will ask it

ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ

  • NISAR is a joint Earth-observation satellite of NASA and ISRO.
  • Synthetic aperture radar is an active microwave sensor, so it can image the surface in darkness and through clouds.
  • NISAR carries both L-band and S-band radars, which suit different surface features such as dense vegetation and ice.

ମେନ୍ସ

GS3 (Science and Technology: space). Earth-observation radar missions like NISAR bring all-weather data for disaster management, agriculture, forest and glacier monitoring. India-US space cooperation also shows how shared costs and expertise can build capacity. The way forward is to integrate the open data into national disaster, climate and agricultural planning while building indigenous SAR capability.

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Quick recall

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