Which specific Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument was provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the NISAR mission?
ISRO’s S-band SAR.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was responsible for providing the S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument for the NISAR mission. This instrument operates at a shorter wavelength compared to the L-band system provided by NASA. The shorter wavelength of the S-band radar makes it highly sensitive to changes occurring on the Earth's surface in areas where there is less or thinner vegetation cover. This design choice contrasts with the L-band, which is intended to peer beneath dense canopies. Having both the S-band and L-band systems on a single platform allows scientists to gather comprehensive data by targeting different surface conditions simultaneously, maximizing the scientific return from each pass over a region.
