NASA and India's space agency have released the first radar images from their joint NISAR satellite. One image shows Maine's Mount Desert Island, where colours distinguish forests, water, bare ground and buildings. Its L-band radar can resolve objects as small as five metres, revealing narrow waterways and small islands. Unlike an ordinary photograph, the colours represent surface properties interpreted from radar data rather than natural visual appearance.
Another image maps farmland, wetlands and forests in North Dakota. NASA says the radar can identify land cover and track changes in forests, wetlands and crops. The L-band signal can pass through forest canopies to measure soil moisture and small movements of land or ice. NISAR also carries an S-band radar that is more sensitive to short vegetation. The satellite is designed to observe Earth's land and ice twice every twelve days, supporting research and practical decisions.