New Delhi: Texas Instruments’ (TI) semiconductors are playing a pivotal role in the radar imaging systems of NASA and ISRO’s jointly developed NISAR satellite, marking a breakthrough in Earth observation technology.
The mission, now in orbit, is the first to use dual-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to capture high-resolution images of Earth’s ecosystems, natural hazards and climate activity under all weather conditions, day or night. The launch is the result of a decade-long collaboration between TI and ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) to overcome complex payload design challenges and meet stringent space-grade performance standards.
Advancing Earth observation
NISAR will scan the entire planet every 12 days, generating insights into ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea-level rise and groundwater changes. Scientists will also be able to track natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides in near real time.
“From selecting the right products to consistent support across development cycles, TI’s expertise helped us navigate demanding payload requirements,” said Shri Nilesh Desai, Director, SAC-ISRO. “Our partnership on mixed-signal and analogue semiconductors enabled ISRO to achieve the system-level performance required for a satellite in low Earth orbit.”
TI’s space-grade contribution
TI provided radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant components designed to withstand extreme space environments. These included:
- Power management die for hybrid modules, optimising size, weight and efficiency.
- High-resolution analogue-to-digital converters for fine-grained radar imagery.
- High-speed interface technology ensures seamless subsystem communication.
- Advanced clocking solutions for precise time alignment and coherent sampling.
Elizabeth Jansen, TI India’s Sales and Applications Director, said the partnership reflects the company’s long-term commitment to advancing space research. “As NISAR begins its mission, our teams are already developing the next generation of technologies to support future space exploration,” she said.
With this mission, TI and ISRO have together set new benchmarks in environmental research from space, further strengthening India’s role in next-generation Earth observation programs.
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