NISAR is set to be a joint space mission between NASA and ISRO, set to be launched in the first couple of months in 2024.
After the resounding success of India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch a new space mission - NISAR - in collaboration in with the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
NASA administrator Bill Nelson touched down in India on Tuesday, expressing his enthusiasm for a week of meetings and events aimed at strengthening the partnership between the NASA and the ISRO.
During his stay in India, Nelson is scheduled to visit the Bengaluru-based facilities where the NISAR spacecraft, a joint Earth-observing mission between the NASA and its Indian counterpart, is undergoing testing and integration for launch in 2024.
5 things to know about NISAR space mission
A joint venture between space agencies NASA and ISRO, NISAR is short for NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar. When it is launched, NISAR will be the first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequencies.
The total cost of the NISAR project is USD 1.5 billion, which comes out to ₹12,505 crore in Indian currency. This makes the joint project the most expensive Earth imaging satellite in the world.
NISAR is likely to be launched in January 2024, and will use its advanced radar imaging technology to map the elevation and movement of Earth's land masses and ice sheets four to six times a month, at a resolution of 5-10 metres.
The main aim of the NISAR satellite is the observe the most complex natural processes of the planet, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, as well as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.
The data collected by NISAR will be helpful for scientists and experts to know more about the evolution of the Earth's crust, predict and analyse natural disasters and understant more about the natural resources of the planet. The data will be made available for free.
NASA and weather experts have alerted that a solar storm can hit the Earth on November 30, causing a minor blackout of radio and GPS signals.
The gradual increase in space activities, especially solar storms, are monitored by space experts daily, who have now alerted that a solar storm is expected to hit the Earth on November 30, due to a coronal mass ejection.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has alerted that a solar storm is likely to hit Earth on November 30. This is being caused by a CME which hit the Earth on Sunday, causing a 15-hour long solar flare of the G2 class.
Space weather specialist Dr Tamitha Skov wrote on X that the sky will be lit up with auroras due to solar storms on November 30. Further, minor inconveniences can be faced by radio and GPS signals, which is normal during solar storms.
The Sun aims south! A partly Earth-directed #solarstorm launched today. NASA & NOAA agree, a glancing blow is expected early November 30. This one is going mainly south of Earth so minor effects expected. #Aurora possible at high latitudes, #GPS & amateur #radio impacts minimal," the space weather expert wrote on X.
While the solar storm on Sunday was massive, the storm expected to occur on November 30 is expected to be on a much smaller scale. This is because majority of the flare is expected to pass by the Earth without even touching it.
Minor impacts of the solar storm, including a small blackout or disruption of radio and GPS signals near the poles is expected. Usually, a solar storm of a larger scale can cause internet blackout and electricity outage in several areas.
Can solar storm do any damage to the planet?
Solar storms, when they are of massive impact, can cause damage to communication systems. They can disrupt radio frequency and GPS signals, as well as cause internet outage. The effect usually only lasts for a couple of hours.
Meanwhile, solar storms are not usually harmful for humans. A solar flare of very high energy can cause radiational impacts on living organisms, but due to the Earth's atmosphere, the flares don't cause any harm to humans on the surface of the planet.
