Fact Check: "NISAR will orbit Earth every 12 days and is designed to collect data that can track earthquakes, floods, landslides, soil moisture, glacier melt, and changes in agricultural patterns."
What We Know
The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite is a collaborative mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), set to launch in early 2025. It is designed to monitor Earth's surface changes, including tracking natural disasters and agricultural patterns. According to NASA, NISAR will image nearly all of Earth's land and ice-covered surfaces every 12 days, providing crucial data for understanding phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, soil moisture, glacier melt, and agricultural changes.
The satellite will utilize both L-band and S-band radar systems, allowing it to penetrate dense vegetation and provide detailed observations regardless of weather conditions. This capability is particularly valuable for monitoring agricultural health and resource management, as noted by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Analysis
The claim that NISAR will orbit Earth every 12 days and collect data on various environmental factors is supported by multiple credible sources. The NASA-ISRO mission overview explicitly states that the satellite will provide comprehensive data on soil moisture, agricultural patterns, and natural disasters, including earthquakes and landslides. Furthermore, the NISAR utilization program confirms that the satellite will record data every 12 days, enhancing our understanding of Earth's dynamic systems.
The reliability of these sources is high, as they originate from established organizations like NASA and ISRO, which are recognized for their scientific rigor and transparency. Additionally, the information aligns with the broader scientific community's expectations for the satellite's capabilities, as discussed in various articles, including Financial Express and Moneycontrol, both of which highlight the satellite's potential to track significant environmental changes.
Conclusion
Verdict: True. The claim that NISAR will orbit Earth every 12 days and is designed to collect data on earthquakes, floods, landslides, soil moisture, glacier melt, and changes in agricultural patterns is accurate. This conclusion is based on reliable sources that detail the satellite's mission objectives and capabilities.
Sources
- NASA-ISRO Mission Will Map Farmland From Planting to Harvest
- Powerful New US-Indian Satellite Will Track Earth's Changing Surface
- NISAR UTILIZATION PROGRAMME
- NISAR ready for liftoff: NASA and ISRO set to launch $1.5 billion Earth observation satellite in July
- $1.5 Billion NASA-ISRO Earth observation satellite NISAR to launch from India in July
