U.S.

First radar images from new Earth-mapping satellite showcase North Dakota farmland, Maine coast

September 26, 2025 / 11:16 AM CDT / AP

Meet the Minneapolis astronaut preparing to head to the International Space Station

NASA's first radar images from a new Earth-mapping satellite show the Maine coast and North Dakota farmland in incredible detail.

The pictures, released Thursday, are from a spacecraft that rocketed into orbit from India two months ago.

This image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech on Aug. 23, 2025, NISAR imaged land adjacent to northeastern North Dakota's Forest River, light-colored wetlands and forests line the river's banks, while circular and rectangular plots throughout the image appear in shades that indicate the land may be pasture or cropland with corn or soy. NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP

The joint U.S.-Indian mission, worth $1.3 billion, will survey virtually all of the world's land and ice masses multiple times. By tracking even the slightest shifts in land and ice, the satellite will give forecasters and first responders a leg up in dealing with floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions and other disasters.

NASA said these first pictures are a preview of what's to come once science operations begin in November.

The satellite, flying 464 miles high in a near polar orbit, is called NISAR, short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar. ISRO is the Indian Space Research Organization.

In this image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech captured on Aug. 21, 2025, NISAR's L-band radar shows Maine's Mount Desert Island, green indicates forest; magenta represents hard or regular surfaces, like bare ground and buildings. The magenta area on the island's northeast end is the town of Bar Harbor. NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP