News

The NISAR radar satellite mission, set to launch in early 2024, is a collaborative effort between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This earth observation satellite will provide valuable insights into the impact of changes in Earth’s forest and wetland ecosystems on the global carbon cycle and climate change.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) states that the NISAR mission will focus on studying two crucial ecosystems, forests, and wetlands. These ecosystems play a vital role in naturally regulating greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which contribute to global climate change.

Once in orbit, the NISAR satellite will utilize advanced radar systems to scan the land and ice surfaces of the entire planet twice within a 12-day period. This comprehensive coverage will offer detailed data on the capture and release of carbon in both forests and wetlands.

According to JPL, forests store carbon within the wood of their trees, while wetlands store it within their layers of organic soil. Disruption to either of these systems, whether gradual or sudden, can accelerate the release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

By tracking global-scale land-cover changes, researchers will gain a better understanding of the impact on the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle refers to the processes through which carbon moves between the atmosphere, land, ocean, and living organisms.

NISAR’s radar technology will provide scientists with a comprehensive view of Earth’s land and ice changes over time and space. This will enable a more reliable assessment of the planet’s changing conditions.

This joint collaboration between NASA and ISRO marks the first time the two agencies have worked together on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. NASA’s JPL is leading the US component of the project, providing the mission’s L-band SAR, along with other crucial elements.

ISRO’s U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru is taking charge of the ISRO component, offering the spacecraft bus, S-band SAR electronics, launch vehicle, associated launch services, and satellite mission operations.

Once launched, the NISAR radar satellite mission will provide scientists with invaluable data to deepen our understanding of the impact of forest and wetland ecosystems on the global carbon cycle and climate change.

The post The NISAR Radar Satellite Mission: Exploring Forests and Wetlands appeared first on satProviders.