WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - An Indo-U.S. Earth-observing radar satellite's first images of our planet's surface are in. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, NISAR in short, offer a glimpse of things to come as the joint mission between NASA and Indian Space Research Organization approaches full science operations later this year.
'Launched under President Trump in conjunction with India, NISAR's first images are a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around a shared vision of innovation and discovery,' said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. 'This is only the beginning. NASA will continue to build upon the incredible scientific advancements of the past and present as we pursue our goal to maintain our nation's space dominance through Gold Standard Science.'
Images from the spacecraft, which was launched by ISRO on July 30, display the level of detail with which NISAR scans Earth to provide unique, actionable information to decision-makers in a diverse range of areas, including disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and agricultural management.
On August 21, the satellite's L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, which was provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, captured Mount Desert Island on the Maine coast. Dark areas represent water, while green areas are forest, and magenta areas are hard or regular surfaces, such as bare ground and buildings. The L-band radar system can resolve objects as small as 15 feet, enabling the image to display narrow waterways cutting across the island, as well as the islets dotting the waters around it.
Then, on August 23, the L-band SAR captured data of a portion of northeastern North Dakota straddling Grand Forks and Walsh counties. The image shows forests and wetlands on the banks of the Forest River passing through the center of the frame from west to east and farmland to the north and south. The dark agricultural plots show fallow fields, while the lighter colors represent the presence of pasture or crops, such as soybean and corn. Circular patterns indicate the use of center-pivot irrigation.
The images demonstrate how the L-band SAR can discern what type of land cover - low-lying vegetation, trees, and human structures - is present in each area. This capability is vital both for monitoring the gain and loss of forest and wetland ecosystems, as well as for tracking the progress of crops through growing seasons around the world.
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