NASA’s Largest Satellite Antenna Ever Has Just Unfurled in Space

NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have successfully deployed the largest radar antenna reflector ever put into orbit on the NISAR satellite, which launched on July 30, 2023. The antenna, measuring 39 feet across and made from gold-plated wire mesh, unfolded fully 17 days after launch, marking a major milestone for the mission. NISAR is equipped with two types of synthetic aperture radar (SAR)—L-band and S-band—that enable it to penetrate forest canopies, clouds, and snow cover to monitor Earth’s surface with unprecedented resolution. This capability allows the satellite to track ice sheet and glacier movements, crustal deformation from earthquakes and landslides, and changes in ecosystems with centimeter-level accuracy. NISAR represents a significant technological collaboration between NASA and ISRO, combining decades of radar technology development from NASA with ISRO’s expertise in satellite infrastructure and launch operations. NASA provided the L-band SAR and data communications, while ISRO contributed the S-band