NASA And ISRO Target The Latest Launch Date For The NISAR Satellite

NISAR satellite launch preparations (photo: dock. ISRO)

JAKARTA NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have set a new launch date for the NISAR mission. The satellite launch project will not launch earlier than July 30.

NISAR, abbreviation of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, is an Earth observer satellite designed to significantly monitor planetary changes. The satellite uses unusual radar technology to support data collection.

"(NISAR is) the Earth's observer satellite that will be the first satellite to be equipped with an L and S band radar," NASA said in a statement, quoted on Tuesday, July 22.

The collaboration satellite between the US and India will be launched using ISRO's Geosynchronous Launching Wahana (GSLV). NISAR will take off from the Satish Dhawan ISRO Space Center in Sriharikota, an area located on India's southeast coast.

Until now, the launch location is still being prepared to ensure the smooth launch process. This is done so that the NISAR can take off without any problems until it is finally placed in space.

Since last year, this collaboration project has continued to be encouraged to be realized, particularly by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The reason is, NISAR is not only an innovative cooperation, but also strengthens the position of the two countries in the scientific exploration sector.

While in space, NISAR will scan almost all land and ice surfaces on Earth periodically. This mapping will be done twice every 12 days. With this frequency, NISAR can collect data quickly and dynamically.

The data collected by NISAR will be used for scientific studies. This satellite will measure changes in the terrestrial ecosystem, growth and shrinkage of ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice. In addition, tectonic deformation in the Earth's crust will also be monitored in detail.