# NISAR S-band SAR
*sensor . products*

ISRO S-band synthetic aperture radar payload for NISAR.

## Specifications
- **manufacturer**: isro
- **deployment context**: orbital
- **sensor**: {"instrument_family":"sar","measurement_principle":"active","frequency_band":"S","centre_frequency_mhz":3200,"polarisation_modes":["full polarimetric","hybrid 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**: isro
- **attributes**: {"kind":"sensor","manufacturer":"isro","deployment_context":"orbital","description":"ISRO S-band synthetic aperture radar payload for NISAR.","sensor":"{\"instrument_family\":\"sar\",\"measurement_principle\":\"active\",\"frequency_band\":\"S\",\"centre_frequency_mhz\":3200,\"polarisation_modes\":[\"full polarimetric\",\"hybrid polarimetric\"],\"swath_km\":242,\"modes\":[{\"name\":\"SweepSAR\",\"resolution_range_m\":3,\"swath_km\":242,\"polarisation\":\"full polarimetric\"}]}"}

## Editorial
NISAR S-band SAR is the S-band SweepSAR instrument on NISAR, using active microwave imaging for synthetic aperture radar collection.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-s-nisar][^nasa-earthdata-s-sar] The instrument operates in S-band around 3.2 GHz, within a 3.162-3.237 GHz range for the S-band radar context.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-s-nisar] Its SweepSAR mode supports about 242 km swath and 3 m range resolution.[^nisar-science-users-handbook][^wmo-sar-s-nisar] The S-band mode set includes full and hybrid polarimetric operation, with single, dual and compact-polarisation modes also recorded for the instrument.[^wmo-sar-s-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-s-nisar] NISAR launched on 2025-07-30, and SAR-S utilization is recorded from October 2025 with end of life at or after 2029.[^wmo-nisar][^wmo-sar-s-nisar]

## Compositional position
- nisar (missions) --[mission_payloads]--> NISAR S-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-s-nisar] | SAR-S (NISAR) instrument record, WMO OSCAR | https://space.oscar.wmo.int/instruments/view/sar_s_nisar | tier=third-party | accessed=2026-06-16
- [nasa-earthdata-s-sar] | NISAR S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, NASA Earthdata | https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/data/instruments/s-sar | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/products/sensor/nisar-s-band-sar
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)