# NISAR L-band SAR
*sensor . products*

NASA/JPL L-band synthetic aperture radar payload for NISAR.

## Specifications
- **manufacturer**: nasa-jpl
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"sar","measurement_principle":"active","frequency_band":"L","centre_frequency_mhz":1250,"polarisation_modes":["full polarimetric"],"swath_km":242,"modes":[{"name":"SweepSAR","resolution_range_m":3,"swath_km":242,"polarisation":"full polarimetric"}]}
- **entity type**: sensor
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-16
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: nasa-jpl
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","manufacturer":"nasa-jpl","deployment_context":"orbital","description":"NASA/JPL L-band synthetic aperture radar payload for NISAR.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"sar\",\"measurement_principle\":\"active\",\"frequency_band\":\"L\",\"centre_frequency_mhz\":1250,\"polarisation_modes\":[\"full polarimetric\"],\"swath_km\":242,\"modes\":[{\"name\":\"SweepSAR\",\"resolution_range_m\":3,\"swath_km\":242,\"polarisation\":\"full polarimetric\"}]}"}

## Editorial
NISAR L-band SAR is the L-band SweepSAR instrument on NISAR, using active microwave imaging and a wide-swath synthetic aperture radar architecture.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-l-nisar] The instrument operates in L-band around 1.250-1.260 GHz, within a 1.215-1.3 GHz range for the L-band radar context.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-l-nisar] Its SweepSAR mode supports about 242 km swath and 3 m range resolution, with single, dual, compact and quad-polarisation modes recorded for L-band operation.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-l-nisar] SAR backscatter, InSAR surface deformation and polarimetric SAR decomposition are demonstrated through NISAR, so buyers should read those as demonstrated uses rather than inferred capabilities.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-l-nisar] NISAR launched on 2025-07-30, and SAR-L utilization is recorded from October 2025 with end of life at or after 2029.[^wmo-nisar][^wmo-sar-l-nisar]

## Compositional position
- nisar (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> NISAR L-band SAR

## Sources
- [nisar-science-users-handbook] | NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Mission Science Users Handbook | https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/missions/nisar/nisar-jpl/pdf/NISAR_FINAL_9-6-19.pdf | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16
- [wmo-nisar] | NISAR satellite record, WMO OSCAR | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/satellites/view/nisar | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-16
- [wmo-sar-l-nisar] | SAR-L (NISAR) instrument record, WMO OSCAR | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/sar_l_nisar | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-16

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/nisar-l-band-sar
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