Isro and Nasa discuss potential opportunities in space exploration

The US space agency Nasa and its Indian counterpart Isro have held discussions on potential opportunities for future cooperation in space exploration.

Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Laurie Leshin visited the Isro headquarters here and had a meeting with the Chairman of the Indian space agency and Secretary of the Department of Space, S Somanath.

"Dr. Laurie Leshin expressed happiness over the joint efforts of JPL and Isro officials working together as a single team at Isro's U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in realising 'Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)," Bengaluru-headquartered Isro said.

NISAR's readiness for launch and potential opportunities for future cooperation including professional exchange in technical areas and space exploration were also discussed during her visit on November 15, Isro said.

Isro sources said the NISAR -- a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by Nasa and Isro -- is expected to be launched from Sriharikota spaceport in the first quarter of 2024.

"NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth's ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides," according to Isro.