Accurate satellite data helps communities prepare for disasters, plan agriculture and understand extreme weather impacts. Rajat Bindlish plays a key role in making this possible. As a research physical scientist at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, Bindlish is a part of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission—an Earth-observing satellite jointly developed by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is scheduled to launch from India later this year.

Mission overview

The NISAR mission marks the first time the two agencies have collaborated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. NISAR will observe and measure some of the planet’s most complex natural processes, helping the United States and India work together to combat the impact of weather and other global challenges.

In the February 2025 US-India Joint Leaders’ Statement, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed 2025 as a pioneering year for U.S.-India civil space cooperation. They highlighted NISAR as the first of its kind to systematically map changes to the Earth’s surface using dual radars.

“NISAR is the most advanced L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar satellite developed,” says Bindlish. It will provide observations on average every six days, with a spatial resolution of under 10 meters. The satellite will measure land deformation caused by natural hazards, track glacier and ice sheet changes, and monitor forest and wetland dynamics to support science and disaster response. “The ability to observe these events from space is crucial for national security,” Bindlish adds. NISAR’s rapid, global coverage will enable timely pre- and post-disaster observations, helping assess damage and guide response efforts—strengthening US and Indian efforts to protect lives, livelihoods and ecosystems.

Roots in earth science
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and The Pennsylvania State University, Bindlish came to the United States for graduate studies in civil engineering with a specialization in hydrology. “As part of my research, I used remote sensing observations, which became a continued focus during my time at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and now at NASA,” he says.

His early exposure to remote sensing shaped his continued focus on Earth observation. In addition to the NISAR mission, Bindlish also serves as the deputy project scientist for NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, an Earth satellite that measures water content in Earth’s surface soil, to better understand terrestrial water, carbon and energy cycles.

Tracking soil moisture

The NISAR mission aims to understand the “dynamics of moisture in the soil and carbon storage in vegetation, improve the knowledge of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides,” Bindlish explains. “It will provide information about vegetation stress and irrigation, which will help enhance agricultural monitoring capabilities in support of food security.”

Elaborating on the importance of soil moisture, Bindlish explains that it plays an important role in forecasting droughts and floods, monitoring crops, managing water supply and understanding land surface hydrology. It also guides irrigation planning — adequate soil moisture supports healthy root growth and nutrient absorption, which leads to better yields and improved crop productivity.

NISAR will use L-band radar to estimate soil moisture. “L-band radar can see through clouds and vegetation, making it especially useful for measuring moisture in the top layer of soil,” explains Bindlish. The radar signal changes depending on how wet or dry the soil is, a result of how the soil stores and transmits electrical energy. Scientists must also account for the vegetation’s influence on the signal to retrieve accurate soil moisture data. This helps scientists to assess moisture levels even when the ground is covered by plants.

Building on SMAP

Bindlish’s work on missions like SMAP has uniquely positioned him to work on the NISAR project. “I have been involved with the SMAP mission since its inception, helping develop and validate the soil moisture algorithm,” he says. “As SMAP’s deputy project scientist, my responsibilities include operational decisions about the satellite, development of soil moisture products, science results from the mission and applications.” 

These responsibilities have enabled him to contribute to the NISAR soil moisture algorithm and its use for various applications. He has also worked closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the use of SMAP observations to guide farmers. “I aim to transition these applications to my work on NISAR,” notes Bindlish.

In addition to advancing scientific research, Bindlish values the opportunity to foster international collaboration. He considers working with ISRO scientists on NISAR a privilege. “The United States and India both have strong and very capable space agencies,” he notes. “Earth science observations need to be made on a global scale to fully understand the complex water, energy and carbon cycle processes. It is important for these space agencies to work together for the benefit of humankind by advancing our knowledge of our planet.”

Courtesy, SPAN

SPAN magazine is a publication of the US Embassy in New Delhi aimed at strengthening ties between the United States and India.