What's Happening?
NASA has announced a new element in its Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) program, inviting proposals that utilize the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. This initiative aims to leverage the satellite's dual-frequency
L-band and S-band radar observations to enhance Earth system science and its applications. NISAR is designed to provide comprehensive global coverage of Earth's land and ice surfaces every 12 days, facilitating detailed analysis across various domains such as the geosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere. The data, estimated at 30 petabytes annually, will be archived and distributed by the Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center. A small sample of L-band products is already available for public access, allowing researchers to begin developing workflows in anticipation of larger data releases in 2026.
Why It's Important?
The call for proposals is significant as it represents a major step in utilizing advanced satellite technology to address critical Earth science questions. By enabling detailed monitoring of Earth's surface changes, carbon storage, ecosystem dynamics, and cryosphere behavior, the NISAR mission can significantly contribute to understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The data can also support practical applications such as hazard response, agriculture, and infrastructure monitoring, providing valuable insights for policymakers, scientists, and industry stakeholders. This initiative underscores NASA's commitment to advancing scientific discovery and fostering innovation in Earth observation technologies.
What's Next?
The proposal process for this program element involves two steps, with initial proposals due by March 13, 2026, and final submissions by May 14, 2026. Selected investigators will join the NISAR Data, Applications, Research, and Technology (DART) team, collaborating with NASA's Earth Science Division to accelerate scientific discovery and application development. This collaboration is expected to enhance the utility of NISAR observations, driving forward the understanding of Earth's dynamic systems and informing future research and policy decisions.
