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The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is an upcoming Earth observation satellite that aims to provide valuable insights into the impact of forest and wetland ecosystems on the carbon cycle and climate change. This collaborative venture between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled for launch in early 2024.

NISAR’s mission is to comprehensively scan Earth’s land and ice surfaces every 12 days using advanced radar systems. By gathering data on the absorption and release of carbon in forests and wetlands, researchers will be able to study the crucial functions of these ecosystems. Forests sequester carbon within their tree wood, while wetlands store it in their organic soil layers. Any disruption to these systems can lead to the accelerated release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

One of the primary objectives of NISAR is to monitor global land-cover changes and their impact on the carbon cycle. This will help scientists understand the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, land, ocean, and living organisms.

“The radar technology on NISAR will provide us with a comprehensive view of the planet in terms of both space and time,” says Paul Rosen, the NISAR project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It will offer a reliable perspective on the state of Earth’s land and ice, enabling researchers to track changes effectively.

This collaboration between NASA and ISRO is significant, as it is the first time they have jointly developed hardware for an Earth-observing mission. JPL, overseen by NASA through the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), contributes the mission’s L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), while ISRO’s U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru is responsible for the spacecraft bus, S-band SAR electronics, launch vehicle, and associated mission operations.

The NISAR mission holds immense potential for advancing our understanding of how forest and wetland ecosystems influence climate change. Its findings will provide valuable data for future research and policy-making related to carbon sequestration and the preservation of these vital ecosystems.

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