ISRO and NASA’s New Joint Initiative – NISAR
Why is it in the discussion?
Leading space organizations from India and the United States, ISRO and NASA, have joined up in a joint effort to create cutting-edge sensors for space applications. The jointly signed project called NISAR aims to launch an Earth observation satellite by 2021.
Key Facts:
The Satellite Application Centre (SAC) will lead the development of C-band radar imaging, as well as microwave and optical sensors. The SAC is located in Ahmedabad, India.
The Indian Space Research Organization is preparing to meet the increasing demand for various observational studies.
SAC has initiated the integration of optical and microwave payloads to connect the benefits of space-based observation with the general public.
In the past two decades, the optical observation capacity has increased from 35 meters to 60 meters, and the sensor technology has transitioned from microwave to integrated chips using transducers.
Currently, there are 13 operational satellites for Earth observation.
SAC has developed a specialized air-borne electro-optical sensor to fulfill the specific requirements of high-resolution and hyper-spectral imaging.
Significance of Sensor Technology:
Sensor technology is currently receiving significant attention worldwide.
The demand for wearable and miniaturized wireless sensors is increasing.
Focusing on the design and development of cutting-edge sensors for aerospace and defense applications is necessary in India.
Modern sensor technology will be needed for the next defense and aerospace systems and components.
India needs the latest sensor technology to meet its critical requirements and can also export a large number of products.
Sensor technology is rapidly evolving with applications in embedded monitoring, nano-sensors, covert operations, and IoT connectivity.
This technology has the potential to revolutionize fields such as healthcare, space, defense, and environmental management.
NISAR: A Glance
Recently, India and the United States have achieved several milestones in the field of space. Hence, the United States wants to collaborate with India in this sector.
Both countries will jointly build a new satellite called NISAR.
The full form of NISAR is the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite.
It is a joint initiative of ISRO and NASA, and it is expected to be ready by 2021.
The advanced system of NISAR will provide clear images of the Earth.
It will enable a better understanding of natural events occurring on Earth.
The focus of this initiative is to develop sensors in the L&S band that can observe Earth’s surface deformations and provide details of coastal areas and their depths during disasters.