US-India NISAR Mission Tracks Rapid Land Subsidence in Mexico City

Key facts

• The NISAR satellite, a joint mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was launched in July 2025.
• Data from NISAR shows parts of Mexico City subsiding by more than 2 centimetres per month, using its L-band radar system that captures surface changes regardless of weather or time of day.
• Mexico City, built over an ancient lakebed, has experienced subsidence due to decades of groundwater extraction and urban infrastructure weight, with some areas sinking as much as 35 centimetres annually by the late 20th century.
• NISAR is the first satellite equipped with dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar, orbiting Earth every 12 days and deploying a 12-metre reflector, the largest radar antenna ever used by NASA.
• Key landmarks within the subsidence zone include Benito Juárez International Airport and the Angel of Independence, where additional steps have been added over time due to ground level changes.