Fill in the Blanks: NISAR maps the global surface every.........
A3 days
B12 days
C5 days
D24 hrs
Answer:
B. 12 days
Read Explanation:
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)
- Full Form: NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
- Joint Venture: It is a collaborative Earth-observation mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the USA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- Mapping Frequency: NISAR is designed to map the entire globe's land and ice-covered surfaces systematically every 12 days.
- Dual-Frequency Radar: It is the first satellite mission to use dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar:
- L-band SAR: Developed and provided by NASA (wavelength: ~24 cm).
- S-band SAR: Developed and provided by ISRO (wavelength: ~9.3 cm).
- Orbit Type: The satellite operates in a Sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 747 km.
- Key Objectives: It tracks minute surface changes down to fractions of an inch to monitor ecosystems, natural hazards (like earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanoes), glacier movements, groundwater levels, and forest biomass.
- Launch Vehicle: It is designed for launch aboard ISRO's GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.