India's space agency ISRO and USA’s NASA have joined hands to develop an imaging satellite that will be used for natural resources mapping and monitoring.
Named as the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), the satellite is expected to be ready by 2021.
ISRO is working with Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the NASA for developing this 'Dual Frequency (L&S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite'.
"The ISRO and the JPL/NASA are working towards realization of this mission by 2021. Both agencies have obtained necessary approvals from respective governments,” Union minister Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The satellite will also be used for estimating agricultural biomass over full duration of crop cycle, assessing soil moisture, monitoring of floods and oil slicks, coastal erosion, coastline changes and variation of winds in coastal waters, assessment of mangroves and surface deformation studies among others.
"The ISRO will be responsible for design & development of S-band SAR, Spacecraft bus, data transmission system, Spacecraft integration & testing, launch using GSLV and on-orbit operations", Singh added.
