NASA has shared its first radar images from a new Earth-mapping satellite, giving a clear look at the Maine coast and farmland in North Dakota. These detailed pictures come from a spacecraft that launched into orbit from India just two months ago.
The satellite, called NISAR, is a joint project between NASA and India’s space agency, ISRO. It orbits about 464 miles above the Earth in a near-polar path. This $1.3 billion mission will scan almost all the world’s land and ice several times over. By keeping a close eye on small changes in the ground and ice, the satellite will help scientists and emergency teams better respond to natural disasters like floods, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.
The images, released recently, offer a glimpse of what this mission can do once it begins full science operations in November. One of the photos shows an area near Forest River in northeastern North Dakota. You can see light-colored wetlands and dense forests lining the river, along with round and rectangular fields that are likely used to grow crops like corn and soy.
This satellite marks an important step for global monitoring, helping track Earth’s changing environment with detailed radar views that can see through clouds and darkness. It also highlights the growing partnership between the United States and India in space exploration and Earth science.
With NISAR’s ongoing observations, weather forecasters and disaster responders will have better data to prepare for events that affect people and nature around the world. The mission promises to be a powerful tool for understanding Earth’s surface like never before.