A groundbreaking Earth observation satellite has successfully deployed a vast radar antenna in orbit, marking a major step in a joint NASA–ISRO mission.
A Satellite That Can Spot Earth’s Subtle Shifts
Launched on 30 July from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission is designed to monitor Earth’s surface with extraordinary precision. The spacecraft can track changes in the planet’s crust down to fractions of an inch, offering scientists unprecedented insight into natural hazards, ecosystems, and climate change.
Central to the mission is a 39-foot (12-metre) wide antenna reflector, the largest ever flown on a NASA science mission. Weighing 64 kilograms, the gold-plated mesh structure was tightly stowed for launch and has now unfolded in space through a carefully choreographed process.
A High-Stakes Deployment
The team began extending the satellite’s boom on 9 August, slowly unlocking its joints over several days. On 15 August, a series of explosive bolts released the reflector assembly, allowing the massive drum-shaped structure to unfurl like an umbrella. Motors and cables then pulled the frame into its final form, completing what NASA engineers describe as the “bloom” process.
“We were of course eager to see the deployment go well. It’s a critical part of the NISAR Earth science mission and has taken years to design, develop, and test to be ready for this big day,” said Phil Barela, NISAR project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Now that we’ve launched, we are focusing on fine-tuning it to begin delivering transformative science by late fall of this year.”
Seeing Earth in 3D Detail
NISAR carries two synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems: an L-band radar from NASA and an S-band radar from ISRO. Working together, they can peer through clouds, vegetation, and even snow to produce sharp images of Earth’s surface.
“Synthetic aperture radar, in principle, works like the lens of a camera, which focuses light to make a sharp image,” explained Paul Rosen, NISAR’s project scientist at JPL. “The size of the lens, called the aperture, determines the sharpness of the image.”
With this technology, NISAR will be able to map Earth’s features down to 10 metres across. By comparing radar images taken over time, scientists can even generate 3D “movies” of surface changes, revealing movements from earthquakes, ice shifts, and land subsidence in remarkable detail.
What Comes Next?
The successful deployment of the reflector means NISAR is now entering the final stages of preparation before science operations begin later this year. Once fully operational, the mission is expected to give researchers new ways to study Earth’s dynamic processes, including natural disasters and environmental change.
#Giant #Blooming #Antenna #Unfolds #Space #NASAISRO #Earth #Mission