Current Affairs 31st July

Launch Details Date & Time: Launched on a Wednesday at 5:40 p.m. Launch Site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Launch Vehicle: GSLV-F16 Orbit Achieved: Successfully placed in sun-synchronous orbit about 18 minutes post-lift-off. Satellite Weight: 2,392 kg

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a form of radar that uses the motion of a radar antenna to create high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface. It achieves this by transmitting microwave pulses and analysing the returning echoes, effectively simulating a much larger antenna than the physical one on the moving platform.

Joint Mission: NASA and ISRO First-ever satellite jointly developed by: NASA (U.S.) ISRO (India) Mission Name: NISAR NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission Life: 5 years
Technological Highlights First satellite to use dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): L-band (NASA) S-band (ISRO) Uses NASA’s 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna Integrates with ISRO’s modified I3K satellite bus

 

Radar & Observation Capabilities Technology Used: Sweep SAR Swathe Width: 242 km High Spatial Resolution All-weather, day-and-night imaging capability Revisits same area every 12 days
Applications of NISAR Detects minute changes on Earth’s surface: Ground deformation Ice sheet movement Vegetation dynamics