What if we could have more warning time before a natural disaster? People could seek shelter faster. First responders could surge resources to the impacted area. And new construction projects could be relocated to safer locations.

       To better understand how small changes in the Earth's land and ice surfaces can lead to catastrophic events and natural disasters, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is collaborating with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on a space mission to launch a first-of-its-kind satellite into orbit that's capable of monitoring the planet in an unprecedented way.

       The NISAR mission, which stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, is scheduled to lift off at 8:10 a.m. ET on July 30 aboard an ISRO GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India's southeastern coast.

       Built by NASA JPL and the ISRO, the satellite features a unique radar system that utilizes two different frequencies -- L-band and S-band --making it capable of measuring small changes (less than half an inch) on the Earth's surface. Using that data, it will then produce highly detailed 3D images that should help researchers better understand and predict natural disasters, such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides.

       "NISAR truly is a first-of-its-kind dual radar satellite that will change the way we study our home planet and better predict a natural disaster before it strikes. NISAR will scan and take imagery of nearly all the Earth's land and ice surface twice every 12 days in unprecedented detail, literally down to a centimeter," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, during a pre-launch press conference.

       The $1.3 billion mission will not only help scientists better understand the causes of natural disasters but also enable climate researchers to monitor melting glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica and track the health of the world's rainforests with more precision. It can also identify human-produced changes to the land, including those from farming and ranching, water projects, housing and commercial development and infrastructure projects.

       "We'll put NISAR science and observations to work, making it available to inform decisions where and when they're needed, helping to ensure that as a nation, we can abundantly feed ourselves, build resilient housing and transportation systems, and better prepare and respond to natural hazards," explained Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division at NASA.

       While other satellites can monitor the Earth's surface and provide images and measurements, NASA JPL said NISAR has a unique radar system. The system works by sending microwave signals to Earth and then using its large 39-foot radar antenna to receive those signals when they bounce back. Researchers can then compare the signals to study how the planet's surface is changing.

       Since it revisits each location every 12 days, it can track those changes over time. NISAR can also penetrate clouds and light rain, and operates continuously, unlike the optical sensors on other satellites.

       "The L-band radar, which is provided by JPL, operates at a longer wavelength and that can see through the trees and see the bare surface of the bare Earth and even some substructure. The S-band radar, which is provided by ISRO, operates at a shorter wavelength and that sees the vegetation, foliage, surface features better," said Wendy Edelstein, the deputy project manager for NISAR at NASA JPL. "These two radars work together, complementary to achieve science that neither could see on their own."

       NISAR's mission is scheduled to last three years, and it marks the first time NASA and ISRO have collaborated on a project of this kind.

       NASA said the satellite will collect enough data to fill about 150 512-gigabyte hard drives each day, and that information will be made available free of charge to scientists and anyone else interested in studying it.