Quick Facts
![Artist's Concept of NISAR spacecraft](/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBKQT09IiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--5989fc06262106f87f3b1b5da6850bd6615162f7/NISAR_over_Earth_300dpi_v3_nc.jpg?disposition=inline)
Artist's Concept
Planned Launch Date: 2024
The NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Mission will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater, and will support a host of other applications.
NISAR will observe Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces globally with 12-day regularity on ascending and descending passes, sampling Earth on average every 6 days for a baseline 3-year mission.
Mission Characteristics
Orbit Altitude | 747 km |
Orbit Inclination | 98.4° |
Repeat Cycle | 12 days |
Time of Nodal Crossing | 6 AM/ 6 PM |
Orbit Control | < 500 m |
Pointing Control | < 273 arcsec |
Pointing | Left (south) |
L/S Duty Cycle | > 50%/10% |
Baseline Mission Duration | 3 years |
Consumables | 5 years |
Data and Product Access | Free & open |
Wavelength | L-band: 24 cm S-band: 9 cm |
SAR Resolution | 3–10 m mode-dependent |