24/7 Earth monitoring: NASA's new satellite is revolutionizing surveillance (photo).

The history of Earth spans over 4.5 billion years, and scientists are fervently trying to peer into the past and future of our planet. To achieve this, researchers employ advanced technologies that allow them to delve into the Earth's depths, monitor climate changes, and even forecast the future of the planet's major systems, as reported by SciTechDaily.

Scientists frequently utilize satellites in Earth's orbit to track changes occurring on the planet. Now, NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are set to launch their groundbreaking Earth observation satellite, NISAR. The launch is scheduled for the coming months, and researchers believe that their creation will revolutionize how we observe the planet.

The new satellite, equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), is expected to capture incredibly detailed images of the Earth. By analyzing this data, scientists anticipate being able to detect movements in small areas of soil and ice with centimeter-level precision.

It is known that it can detect movements in small areas of land and ice with precision down to fractions of an inch. NISAR will scan nearly all solid surfaces of the Earth twice every 12 days, providing valuable information on how the planet changes over time. Researchers plan to utilize it for a variety of purposes, including:

• changes in ice sheets;
• changes in forests;
• shifts due to earthquakes;
• glacier movement;
• changes in ecosystems;
• deforestation.

Researchers note that the exceptional capabilities of NISAR are due to the use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) — a sophisticated technology initially developed by NASA for space applications. It is known that the radar operates by combining multiple radar measurements obtained during orbital movement.

Unlike traditional radar that uses microwaves to detect distant objects, SAR enhances data processing to provide clearer and more accurate images that reveal surface characteristics in fine detail.

According to Charles Elachi, head of NASA's Earth Science missions, the satellite spans 12 meters in width, allowing scientists to obtain extremely precise data. For comparison, the L-band instrument of the mission, which employs traditional radar methods, would require a diameter of 19 kilometers to achieve such image quality.

The orbital radar operates on the same principles as tracking aircraft at an airport. The space antenna emits microwave pulses towards the Earth. When these pulses hit something — such as a volcanic cone — they scatter. The antenna receives these signals, which are reflected back to the instrument, measuring their strength, frequency shift, the time taken to return, and whether they bounced off multiple surfaces, such as buildings.