NASA-ISRO Radar Satellite Captures First Image of North Dakota Wetlands, Farmlands

The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing radar satellite's L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system captured an image of a portion of northeastern North Dakota straddling Grand Forks and Walsh counties on Aug. 23, 2025. Produced by scientists on the NISAR science team, the image shows forests and wetlands on the banks of the Forest River meandering through the middle of the frame from west to east and farmland to the north and south. The darker agricultural plots are fallow fields, while the lighter colors represent the presence of pasture or crops, such as soybean and corn. Circular patterns indicate the use of center-pivot irrigation. The satellite is a joint effort between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is the first satellite to combine L-band and S-band radar systems. The satellite's L-band system, provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, uses a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength that enables its signal to penetrate forest canopies and measure soil moisture as well as motion of ice surfaces and land down to fractions of an inch – a key measurement in understanding how the land surface moves before, during, and after earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. The NISAR S-band radar, provided by ISRO's Space Applications Centre, uses a 4-inch (10-centimeter) microwave signal that's more sensitive to small vegetation, which makes it effective at monitoring certain types of agriculture and grassland ecosystems. Data used to create the image was collected during NISAR's commissioning phase, when the spacecraft's systems and instruments are powered on and tested. The NISAR mission will begin science operations in November, roughly 90 days after its July 30, 2025, launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India's southeastern coast. Observations from NISAR will benefit humanity by helping researchers around the world better understand changes in our planet's surface, including its ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice. It also will capture changes in forest and wetland ecosystems and track movement and deformation of our planet's crust by phenomena such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity. The global and rapid coverage from NISAR will provide unprecedented support for disaster response, producing data to assist in mitigating and assessing damage, with observations before and after catastrophic events available in short time frames. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26615