The much-anticipated Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (Nisar) mission, a collaborative effort between Nasa and the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro), has faced a delay in its launch timeline, now pushed beyond February 2025.
The delay is primarily due to orbital constraints and ongoing work on the spacecraft’s antenna.
The Nisar satellite, equipped with advanced radar imaging capabilities, is designed to map Earth’s land and ice surfaces, offering critical data for understanding environmental changes and natural hazards.
The launch of the highly anticipated Nisar mission cannot take place between early October 2024 and early February 2025.
This period would subject the satellite to alternating sunlight and shadows, resulting in temperature changes that could affect the deployment of Nisar’s boom and radar antenna reflector.
NASA has been working on the radar antenna reflector in California to ensure it can tolerate temperature changes during deployment.
The reflector, a key component of the mission, was transported back from India to apply a special coating to mitigate potential temperature increases. This precautionary measure is crucial for the successful deployment of the antenna once in orbit.
Following the completion of testing, the reflector will be sent back to India, where it will be reintegrated with the radar system at an Isro facility in Bengaluru. Nasa and Isro teams will collaborate to determine a new launch readiness date, coordinating efforts to ensure the mission’s success.
Nisar represents a significant partnership between Nasa and Isro, with both agencies contributing advanced radar systems.
The satellite aims to revolutionise the monitoring of Earth’s dynamic systems, providing insights into ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards like earthquakes and tsunamis.
Despite the delay, the mission’s objectives remain critical for global climate science and disaster management.
The data collected by Nisar will be instrumental in enhancing our understanding of Earth’s changing environment, supporting a wide range of scientific and practical applications.
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Source: India Today
