NISAR Mission Advances with Key Testing Milestones

November 16, 2023

he NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, a collaborative effort between NASA and ISRO, is making significant progress as it prepares for its scheduled launch in the first quarter of 2024. Scientists and engineers working on the mission have successfully completed critical tests, including thermal vacuum testing, bringing them one step closer to their mission goals.

Crucial Thermal Vacuum Testing Completed in Bengaluru

One of the key milestones recently achieved is the completion of thermal vacuum testing in Bengaluru. Phil Barela, NASA NISAR project manager from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), expressed his satisfaction with this accomplishment. Thermal vacuum testing is a crucial step to ensure that the spacecraft can withstand the extreme temperature variations it will encounter in space. This successful test marks a significant achievement for the NISAR team.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Testing Concluded

In addition to thermal vacuum testing, the NISAR mission has also successfully completed Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing. These tests ensure that the spacecraft’s electronic systems can operate without interference and remain compatible with each other during the mission.

Upcoming Vibration Tests

The next critical phase in the mission’s testing process will involve vibration tests. These tests aim to simulate the harsh conditions the spacecraft will experience during its launch. Placing an entire satellite on a shaker cable and subjecting it to simulated launch vibrations is a challenging but necessary step to ensure the spacecraft’s resilience.

Overview of NISAR Mission

NISAR, a Low Earth Orbit observatory jointly developed by NASA and ISRO, is set to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota aboard ISRO’s GSLV Mark-II launch vehicle. Once operational, NISAR will play a vital role in monitoring a wide range of changes on Earth’s surface in unprecedented detail.

Key Mission Objectives and Applications

The NISAR mission is designed to provide valuable data for various applications, including:

Volcanic Eruption Monitoring: NISAR will help researchers detect warning signs of imminent volcanic eruptions, contributing to early warning systems and improved safety measures.
Groundwater Use and Land Subsidence: The mission will monitor the effects of groundwater use, including land subsidence, helping to manage vital water resources more effectively.
Ice Sheet Melt Rate: NISAR will track the rate of ice sheet melt, providing critical information related to sea level rise and its impacts.
Vegetation Distribution: The mission will observe shifts in the distribution of vegetation across the planet, aiding in environmental and ecological research.

Mission Details

With a budget of $1.5 billion, NISAR has a mission life of three years. The satellite will survey all of Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces every 12 days, following a 90-day satellite commissioning period.

Advanced Radar Technology

NISAR features a dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) operating with the Sweep SAR technique to capture large swaths of high-resolution data. The SAR payloads, part of the Integrated Radar Instrument Structure (IRIS), are a critical component of the observatory.

Collaborative Efforts

NASA’s JPL is responsible for providing the mission’s L-band SAR and various other components, including radar reflector antennas, deployable booms, communication subsystems, GPS receivers, solid-state recorders, and payload data subsystems. ISRO’s U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru is contributing the spacecraft bus, S-band SAR electronics, the launch vehicle, launch services, and satellite mission operations.

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