Scientists will soon have a space-based instrument to study environmental changes in very high resolution, and you won’t have to wait long to learn more about it. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory held a question-and-answer session on Feb. 3 to discuss NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR), an Earth-mapping satellite built in conjunction with the Indian Space Research Organization. It won’t launch from India until early 2024 and is scheduled to run for three years, but it contains breakthrough technologies that can help understand the Earth and deal with natural disasters.

NISAR is the first radar satellite to use dual frequencies (microwave bands L and S). This will allow systematic mapping of the earth’s crust with an extraordinary level of detail – it can detect changes smaller than 1 cm (0.4 in). This will allow NISAR to observe even the subtle nuances of earthquakes, tsunamis and other disasters. It will also help monitor long-term processes, including crustal evolution, ecosystem degradation and ice sheet collapse.

Access to data will also play an important role. NISAR provides worldwide coverage every 12 days, making time-based imaging more practical. The mission team hopes to make the data available to the public in a day or two, but in an emergency it can deliver the data within hours. Anyone who wants to analyze information can use it.

With an estimated US$1.5 billion price tag, NISAR is expected to be the most expensive Earth imaging satellite to date. However, the investment may be justified. Satellite data can help governments respond to and prepare for natural disasters and improve humanity’s understanding of climate change and threats to food security.