Latest news with #SyntheticApertureRadar
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Finland backs space tech ICEYE firm with R&D funding
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Finland's business promotion agency has granted research and development funding to satellite and defence technology company ICEYE , the two entities said on Thursday, in what marks another step in European efforts to support the booming owned ICEYE has grown rapidly in recent years and says its fleet of 48 Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites providing near real-time imaging is now the largest, counting Ukraine, NATO and Japan among its agency, Business Finland , said it has assigned 41.1 million euros ($47.2 million) to the Finland-based company's 250-million-euro ($287 million) investment programme to strengthen its position as a global pioneer in space and defence technology."It will strengthen the entire space and defence sector and have a wide-ranging positive impact across the whole ecosystem," head of Business Finland Lassi Noponen said in a the Ukraine war raging next to its borders and global security threats on the rise, the European Union has embarked on a 800 billion euro programme to shore up its defence, with tech startups expected to play a significant satellite constellation works by bouncing a radar beam off the surface of the Earth from approximately 550 km (342 miles) in space to build a detailed picture of the ground, regardless of weather conditions or daylight, the company said."We have clearly ended up being in the right place at the right time with this technology. There is a great need to develop such sovereign capability," ICEYE chief of strategy Pekka Laurila addition to data, ICEYE also sells radar imaging satellites, as many countries are increasingly keen on having their own capacity to be able to monitor around the clock what happens on the CEO Rafal Modrzewski said the increased interest in space was driven both by technological advances and the Ukraine war that highlighted the importance of satellite technologies."This technology will be critical for national security," he told Reuters in a recent 250 million-euro investment programme will allow it to expand its satellite manufacturing capabilities, develop new sensors and upgrade its satellite platforms, the company said.
India Today
a day ago
- Business
- India Today
GalaxEye announces development of second satellite for sharper images
GalaxEye, the Bengaluru-based space-tech startup known for Syncfusion SAR-Optical imaging satellite technology, has unveiled plans for its second satellite, signalling a major leap in India's private space new satellite, engineered for near 0.5-metre resolution, is set to deliver sharper, faster geospatial insights—especially for defence, disaster response, and urban security announcement comes as GalaxEye prepares to launch its first satellite, Mission Drishti, later this Drishti, with its 1.25-metre resolution, will demonstrate the world's first fusion of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and multispectral optical sensors in orbit—technology validated through over 500 drone flights and the successful GLX-SQ payload mission aboard ISRO's POEM-4 platform in December SyncFusion Imaging System, tested in the harsh conditions of the South Atlantic Anomaly, proved resilient and capable of delivering rapid, all-weather, high-resolution second satellite will further push the envelope by reducing revisit times to under three days and enhancing spatial resolution, making the constellation more responsive for mission-critical this satellite will be entirely built in-house, underscoring GalaxEye's growing manufacturing and systems integration prowess. The company is also planning to scale up its facilities to meet increasing global Singh, Founder & CEO, emphasised, 'Building on the experience from our first satellite and the evolving needs of our defence customers, we're thrilled to take the next big step in scaling our constellation and deepening our mission impact.'advertisementSingh highlighted that the sensor stack and proprietary signal processing toolchain, already proven in space and aerial tests, will underpin this new innovations arrive at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, as nations seek more reliable, persistent satellite data. The second satellite, targeting a launch in late 2026 or early 2027, will support not only defence but also adjacent sectors like maritime awareness and risk its sights set on international markets including the US, West Asia, and Europe, GalaxEye is set to become a key player in the next generation of Earth observation.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Science
- Business Standard
World's first dual-frequency radar satellite NISAR to launch from India
World's first dual-frequency radar satellite Launch: In a landmark collaboration, NASA and ISRO are gearing up to launch the NISAR satellite. It is an ambitious $1.5 billion Earth-observation mission that could redefine how we track changes on our planet. The satellite is scheduled to launch this July from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre. NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is designed to monitor Earth's surface with unprecedented centimetre-level precision, day or night, rain or shine. Equipped with a massive 12-meter radar antenna and weighing nearly three tonnes, NISAR is built to deliver near-real-time data on critical challenges like agricultural trends, climate shifts, natural disasters, and environmental changes. Its insights are expected to benefit scientists, farmers, and disaster-response teams globally, making it one of the most anticipated Earth science missions in recent memory. Why Nasa and Isro teamed up for NISAR? Most Earth-observing satellites rely on sunlight to capture surface images, limiting their use to daylight hours and clear skies. This makes them less effective in cloudy regions, like the tropics, or during nighttime events. The NASA-ISRO partnership aims to bridge this gap. With NISAR's advanced radar system, the mission will provide continuous, all-weather imaging, delivering more accurate and timely insights into environmental conditions, natural calamities, and agricultural developments. At the core of NISAR is Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)—a technology originally developed for military reconnaissance in the 1950s. Unlike traditional optical sensors, SAR actively sends radar signals to the Earth's surface and captures the reflections. It functions like a camera flash in the dark, allowing it to 'see' through clouds, smoke, and dense vegetation, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. Real-time tracking of natural disasters SAR has already shown its potential in monitoring floods, earthquakes, and landslides. NISAR will push this further by using dual-frequency radar and offering high-resolution images. It can detect even slight shifts in the Earth's crust, enabling emergency services to assess damage more quickly and respond more effectively during disasters. One of NISAR's unique strengths is its ability to penetrate thick vegetation. This allows researchers to study forest structures and wetlands in greater detail than ever before. It will help measure forest biomass and carbon content, as well as detect flooded vegetation, providing critical insights into ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity. Global impact of NISAR NISAR's high-resolution data will be freely available to researchers and institutions worldwide. It will revisit almost all land and ice surfaces every 12 days, offering more consistent and detailed observations than older missions like Sentinel-1. For the agricultural sector, this means better tracking of soil moisture, crop growth, and land-use patterns, helping farmers make smarter decisions about irrigation and resource use. NISAR's groundbreaking ability NISAR is the first satellite to carry dual-frequency radars and marks NASA and ISRO's first joint hardware venture for Earth observation. What makes it even more impactful is its open data policy, offering free access to high-resolution images and insights to scientists and agencies worldwide. With the ability to detect ground shifts of just a few millimetres, NISAR will aid in monitoring earthquakes, coastal erosion, groundwater changes, forest biomass, and dam safety, benefiting both climate research and disaster management. The satellite will also play a vital role in monitoring glacier movements and melting ice sheets, key indicators of rising sea levels. In coastal areas, NISAR can track shoreline erosion and even detect oil spills, providing valuable tools for environmental protection and emergency response. New era in Earth science NISAR took nearly ten years to develop, and now it is set to launch and add a new chapter in global earth observation. The merger of cutting-edge radar technology with global accessibility promises to equip scientists, policymakers, and communities with the data they need to better understand our planet. From climate resilience and food security to disaster preparedness, NISAR is poised to become a cornerstone of Earth science for years to come.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
India To Launch $1.5 Billion Joint Earth Mission With NASA In July
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are set to launch satellite NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre this July. The $1.5 billion Earth-observing satellite, weighing nearly three tonnes, will monitor the planet's surface with unmatched precision, using advanced radar to scan land, ice, and water every 12 days. Jointly developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ISRO's Space Applications Centre, NISAR is the world's first Earth-observing satellite equipped with dual-frequency radar, L-band and S-band. Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology, it will actively beam radar signals to Earth and analyse the reflections to create high-resolution images. Unlike optical satellites that depend on sunlight and clear skies, NISAR can capture data day or night, and even "see" through cloud cover, smoke, or dense vegetation. What sets NISAR apart is its commitment to open data. The high-resolution imagery and insights it collects will be made freely available to scientists, agencies, and governments across the globe. This technology makes it a powerful tool for tracking natural disasters, changes in groundwater, agricultural patterns, forest biomass, and the shifting of tectonic plates. It can even detect ground shifts as small as a few millimetres, making it vital for monitoring earthquakes, landslides, glacier melt, dam subsidence, coastal erosion, and forest biomass. It can also track soil moisture, helping farmers improve irrigation and boost crop yields. With wide-ranging uses, NISAR will aid disaster response, climate research, and sustainable farming worldwide. The NISAR mission has been under development for over a decade, with joint engineering efforts led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and ISRO's Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad. NISAR is now being prepped for its July launch aboard an ISRO GSLV Mark II rocket. Before this, it went through months of integration and rigorous testing at ISRO's Bengaluru facility, where engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ISRO worked closely since March 2023.
News18
11-06-2025
- Science
- News18
Experts Dismiss Viral Report Claiming Hidden City Beneath Egypt's Pyramids
Last Updated: In ground-breaking research, a group of scientists earlier claimed to have discovered evidence of a second underground city beneath Egypt's Giza Plateau. The history of the Pyramids, located in Egypt, still remains a mystery, notably for their construction. While the ancient Egyptians were in charge of building them, the exact methods, tools, and resources employed are still being researched and debated today. In a ground-breaking research, a group of scientists earlier claimed to have discovered evidence of a second underground city beneath Egypt's Giza Plateau, connecting the Khafre Pyramid to other surrounding sites. But now, top archaeologists have refuted the previous claims, calling it 'unscientific.' As per a Daily Mail report, experts used Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) tomography to discover what they believe to be a huge subterranean complex connecting the Khafre, Khufu, and Menkaure pyramids, as well as the Great Sphinx. Filippo Biondi, a radar expert at the University of Strathclyde, stated that these buildings are '90 per cent likely" to be connected. 'We firmly believe that the Giza structures are interconnected, reinforcing our view that the pyramids are merely the tip of the iceberg of a colossal underground infrastructural complex," Biondi earlier told CNN. Also, the previous report claimed that the researchers had identified vertical shafts that went as far as 2,000 feet below the Khafre pyramid. According to them, the shafts could date back to a civilisation 38,000 years ago, considerably older than the pyramids, which were built around 4,500 years ago. Egypt's pyramids are ancient masonry buildings designed primarily as tombs for pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. Over 130 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt, with many of them part of larger complexes. The Great Pyramid of Giza, built for Pharaoh Khufu, is the largest and most famous and was once the tallest man-made structure in the world. First Published:
