NASA and India’s NISAR satellite could revolutionize disaster prediction

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All L-14 is generating nominal thrust. The United States and India are teaming up to keep an eye on Earth's ever-changing landscape

The satellite, called NISAR, lifted off on July 30th from southern India

It will scan the Earth every six days for the next five years. The data provides scientists with key data on earthquakes, melting glaciers, and more

So what NISAR is actually observing is changes in vegetation and vegetation cover

as well as changes to the ground surface underneath. From those images, scientists will be able to see what is going on both on the surface and inside Earth

In the United States, NISAR tracks earthquakes and volcanoes on the West Coast

In the Southeast, NISAR tracks hurricane floodwaters. And in the Midwest, NISAR can see land subsidian sets due to groundwater pumping and then recharge

For farmers, that information is key for tracking crops. So NISAR is definitely going to be a breakthrough for field soil moisture which is one of your main drivers of both food security and then as well more on the economic commodity forecasts The current land surface models can really quantify irrigation So

9STAR is going to now help understand how much water is actually being used to grow a crop

which will help us save water. So that's kind of a big deal

As a result, farmers will better understand what's happening underneath the ground

The images will help them decide if they are watering too much, too little

Are they in a drought? When farmers do well, everyone benefits. Scientists say NISAR might also predict natural disasters

They were going to be able to actually start studying these tiny little almost landslides

these little tiny quakes. And the goal, of course, being that we find a signature

that happens before a major disaster that would allow us to then look for that and search for it

and almost be able to predict these big disasters before they happen

Unlike other satellites, NISAR will be able to see through clouds. This means it can monitor Earth during storms and in darkness

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey. Find the full story right now by downloading the Straight Arrow News mobile app today