What benefit arises from integrating L-band and S-band sensors onto a single NISAR spacecraft platform?
It ensures perfect temporal registration between the L-band and S-band data acquisition.
Integrating both the L-band and S-band radar instruments onto one singular spacecraft platform is a major design innovation aimed at achieving 'perfect temporal registration.' Temporal registration refers to the precision of time synchronization between collected datasets. Because both sensors capture measurements of the exact same piece of the Earth at the exact same moment during a single orbital pass, scientists eliminate potential errors that would inevitably arise if they had to combine data captured by two separate satellites hours or even days apart. This simultaneity provides a scientifically cleaner basis for comparison, allowing researchers to accurately untangle complex environmental signals, such as distinguishing genuine tectonic movement from surface change caused by temporary factors like soil moisture fluctuation.
