The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite has released its first images of Earth’s surface, marking a major step toward full science operations expected later in 2025.
Launched on 30 July 2025, NISAR is a joint mission by NASA and ISRO that uses L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to capture high-resolution radar images, unaffected by weather or daylight.
The first images, covering Mount Desert Island in Maine and northeastern North Dakota, showcase detailed views of water bodies, forests, agricultural fields, wetlands, and even man-made structures—identifying features as small as five metres.
The mission aims to support disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and agricultural management, while also providing insights into ecosystems and land use patterns.
With its ability to penetrate clouds and vegetation, NISAR ensures continuous global monitoring of Earth’s dynamic surface, promising to be a game-changer in environmental observation and resource planning.
