NASA’s NISAR satellite, a joint mission with the Indian space agency ISRO, has successfully deployed its giant radar antenna reflector into space. The satellite, launched on July 30, packed a massive drum-shaped structure that unfolded over four days and finally bloomed in late August. The reflector, weighing about 142 pounds and spanning 39 feet wide, is the largest ever used on a NASA mission.
The antenna’s deployment was critical to the NISAR Earth science mission, which aims to produce unprecedented three-dimensional views of the planet. Equipped with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems, NISAR will create high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface down to fractions of an inch.
According to project scientists, the reflector plays a key role in these SAR systems, working similarly to a camera lens to focus light and create sharp images. The first radar system, L-band, can see through clouds and forest canopy, while the second S-band system is more sensitive to light vegetation and moisture in snow.
With its unprecedented resolution, NISAR will enable researchers to create 3D movies of changes on Earth’s surface using special interferometric techniques that compare images over time. The satellite’s fine-tuning process has begun, with the team focusing on delivering transformative science by late fall this year.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/this-newly-launched-satellite-just-bloomed-a-record-breaking-antenna-in-orbit-2000644290