In a major milestone for global space collaboration, the NASA-ISRO
Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched on July
30, 2025, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh. The launch took place at 5:40 PM IST aboard the GSLV-F16
rocket, which placed the satellite into a 743-km sun-synchronous orbit
just under 20 minutes after liftoff.
Marking a historic partnership between the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA, NISAR is the first
dual-frequency Earth observation radar satellite developed jointly by the
two agencies. The mission will deliver high-resolution data every 12 days—both
day and night—in all weather conditions, making it one of the most
advanced Earth-monitoring tools to date.
According to Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, NISAR
is a “defining moment” in Indo-US space cooperation. He emphasized that the
satellite will be vital in monitoring ecosystem disturbances, assessing natural
disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides, and
studying ground deformation, soil moisture, vegetation changes,
and sea ice dynamics.
NISAR Mission Objectives and Capabilities
The $1.5 billion satellite, weighing about 2,393
kg, carries a dual-band radar system—NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s
S-band—mounted on a 12-meter unfurlable mesh reflector antenna developed by
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). ISRO provided the spacecraft
bus, S-band radar, solar array, and the launch vehicle.
NISAR will track a wide range of environmental and
geological changes across the globe:
Detect ground deformation due to earthquakes or
subsurface aquifer shifts
Monitor vegetation dynamics and woody biomass
Map sea ice and observe glacier and ice sheet
movement in Greenland and Antarctica
Track coastal changes, shoreline erosion, and storm
patterns
Monitor active croplands, wetland dynamics,
and surface water resources
Aid in ship detection, disaster response, and climate
change research
One of the satellite’s greatest strengths is its ability to see
through clouds, smoke, and vegetation, enabling constant monitoring even in
extreme conditions. Its data will benefit governments, scientists,
and disaster management agencies, offering timely insights to mitigate
risk and support decision-making.
Mission Timeline and Legacy
The NISAR mission is structured in multiple phases—launch,
deployment, commissioning, and scientific operations. The
current launch completes the first phase, with radar deployment and calibration
now underway.
With a planned mission life of five years, NISAR is
expected to revolutionize Earth science by providing frequent, accurate, and
wide-scale radar observations. It also marks the 102nd launch from
Sriharikota and ISRO’s first GSLV mission dedicated to radar Earth
observation.
NASA officials believe NISAR will be a game-changer in
tackling global challenges, from climate change and agricultural
management to urban planning and emergency response.
As the world faces growing environmental uncertainty, the NISAR
mission stands as a symbol of scientific collaboration, offering a powerful
new eye on Earth from space.
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