“An astonishingly high-resolution satellite that launched today will soon map changes on Earth’s surface in unprecedented detail — tracking everything from sinking croplands to crumbling ice sheets and flood-ravaged terrain. It is the biggest-ever collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), carrying with it scientists’ dreams of studying our dynamic planet…

Launched from Sriharikota, India, NISAR will scan nearly all of the planet twice every 12 days, and measure vertical physical shifts on the ground that are as small as one centimetre, even through clouds and at night…

And it will help with responses to disasters such as floods, earthquakes and landslides, by providing up-to-date information about how Earth has behaved. “You can begin to build up an ability to see disasters as they unfold at a very rapid pace, and that should help with identifying areas of concern for first responders.”

From Nature.