ISRO and NASA are working towards realisation of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission by 2021. In the mission, NASA is responsible for development of L-band SAR and ISRO is responsible for development of S-band SAR.
It will be integrated with ISRO’s spacecraft and launched on-board India’s GSLV.
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR, will provide an unprecedented detailed view of Earth by using advanced radar imaging. It is designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet’s most complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.
The L & S band microwave data obtained from the satellite will be useful for variety of application, which include estimating agricultural biomass over full duration of crop cycle; assessing soil moisture; monitoring of floods & oil slicks.
It will also variety the coastal erosion, coastline changes, assessment of mangroves, surface deformation studies and ice sheet dynamics.
