NISAR’s First Radar Images Capture Maine’s Coast and North Dakota’s Farmlands in Striking Detail

NASA has released the first radar images from its newly launched Earth-mapping satellite, NISAR.

The pictures showcase the rugged Maine coastline and farmlands of North Dakota, revealing features in extraordinary detail. A $1.3 billion joint mission with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), NISAR is designed to survey nearly all of Earth’s land and ice repeatedly, offering transformative insights for climate science, disaster forecasting, and environmental monitoring.

phys.org

1. First radar images: NASA unveiled early radar images highlighting the Maine coast and North Dakota farmland.
2. Launch background: The spacecraft carrying NISAR was launched from India two months ago.
3. Joint mission: NISAR is a $1.3 billion partnership between NASA and ISRO.
4. Mapping scope: The satellite will cover nearly all land and ice masses on Earth through repeated surveys.
5. Disaster monitoring: By detecting subtle land and ice shifts, NISAR will aid in predicting natural hazards.
6. Applications: Forecasting will improve for floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and related disasters.
7. Early stage: NASA clarified that the released pictures are just a preview before full science operations begin in November.
8. Orbit altitude: The satellite operates 464 miles (747 kilometers) above Earth in a near-polar orbit.
9. Technical designation: NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
10. Global benefit: The mission is expected to provide critical data for scientists, forecasters, and first responders worldwide.