NASA nearing completion of NISAR antenna reflector work

NASA is close to completing the radar antenna reflector for the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite in California, with ongoing tests to ensure proper deployment post-launch. The drum-shaped reflector, approximately 39 feet (12 meters) in diameter, is a key NASA contribution to this collaborative mission with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This reflector will transmit and receive microwave signals, allowing NISAR to scan almost all of Earth's land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days for data collection.

In March, the reflector was returned from India to a specialized facility in California, where reflective tape was applied and other measures were taken to manage temperature increases that could impact its deployment from the stowed configuration before it begins scientific operations.

Once testing is successfully completed, NASA will send the reflector to an ISRO facility in Bengaluru, India. There, it will be reintegrated with the radar system by teams from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and ISRO. A launch readiness date will be established by ISRO in coordination with NASA.

The NISAR launch cannot be scheduled between early October 2024 and early February 2025 due to potential temperature fluctuations from alternating sunlight and shadows, which could impact the deployment of the satellite's boom and radar antenna reflector.