India-US sat NISAR sending 100m soil moisture data about India every 12 days: Isro

NEW DELHI: Indo-US jointly developed NISAR satellite, which is considered to be the world’s costliest one, is providing significant high-resolution data of Indian landmass that is playing a vital role in the country’s agriculture and water management, Isro said on Saturday.

“This data (in both S and L bands) has been effectively utilised to demonstrate the generation of soil-moisture products at a high resolution of 100m. Being a key indicator of crop health, irrigation need and drought risk, soil-moisture plays a vital role in India’s agriculture and water management,” the space agency said about NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), which was launched from Sriharikota on July 30, 2025.

According to an Isro statement, the soil-moisture products provide consistent estimates across India's diverse agro-climatic regions — from irrigated plains and rainfed farmlands to semi-arid and high-rainfall zones. The physics-based soil moisture retrieval algorithm, developed at Space Applications Centre (Ahmedabad), ensures scientific robustness, reliability, and operational accuracy, it said.

“With the ability to deliver two observations every 12 days, NISAR enables near-real-time tracking of soil moisture dynamics. This frequent monitoring supports irrigation planning, drought preparedness, agrometeorological advisories, and regional water resource management at scales relevant to districts and farming communities," Isro said.

The space agency explained that to support national operations, the 100m level-4 operational soil moisture products with two observations every 12 days will be systematically generated at National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad and disseminated through the Bhoonidhi Portal, ensuring seamless access for farmers, planners, researchers, govt agencies and non-govt entities across the country.