A new satellite mission will track Earth's surface changes with centimeter-level precision

The joint NASA-ISRO NISAR mission uses advanced radar to monitor our planet's shifting landscape. By capturing data through clouds and darkness, this satellite provides unprecedented insight into natural disasters, glaciers, and ecosystems, helping scientists track movements as small as a single centimeter.

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is designed to systematically map Earth's land masses. Its radar technology allows it to observe critical environmental processes, including the flow of ice sheets and glaciers, as well as the dynamics of volcanic activity and earthquakes. Because it can image through cloud cover and at night, it reveals areas previously obscured from satellite observation.

Beyond disaster tracking, the mission supports ecosystem monitoring and agricultural management. By detecting surface changes as small as a centimeter, the data aims to improve our understanding of Earth's evolving surface, aiding in the protection of lives and the management of natural resources. The satellite was scheduled to launch no earlier than 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India.

Source: NISAR: Watching the Earth Move Under Our Feet (NASA-ISRO mission video)