Successful launch of NISAR Satellite

30 July 2025, NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite, built by a joint effort of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was successfully launched. 

The launch was carried out by India's GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Key points and importance of NISAR satellite:

Joint project: NISAR is the result of a partnership of more than a decade between NASA and ISRO. It is a historic milestone in space cooperation between India and the US.

Objective: The primary objective of this state-of-the-art Earth-observation satellite is to understand and study the subtle changes occurring in the Earth's surface, its dynamic ecosystems and ice masses. It will provide critical data in the following key areas:

Natural disaster warning: It will help in detecting and monitoring natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides and floods in advance. Its centimetre-level accuracy will help scientists track even the smallest changes in the Earth's surface, allowing for quick response and minimising loss of life and property.

Climate change study: NISAR will provide information on melting glaciers, sea level rise, soil moisture, permafrost degradation and land use change. This will help improve climate models and understand the impacts of global warming.

Agriculture and food security: It will improve agricultural management and food security by monitoring crop growth, soil moisture levels and land use changes.

Infrastructure monitoring: It will also be helpful in monitoring infrastructure by tracking changes such as urbanisation, deforestation and land subsidence.

Dual-frequency radar: NISAR is the world's first satellite to use two different synthetic aperture radar (SAR) frequencies:

L-band radar (developed by NASA): It is capable of penetrating vegetation and forest overhangs, which is useful for studying solid Earth processes, ice sheet dynamics, and biomass changes.

S-band radar (developed by ISRO): It is better suited for monitoring changes in soil and surface. This dual-frequency capability helps NISAR detect many Earth phenomena with unprecedented accuracy.

High-resolution imaging: NISAR will scan the entire planet every 12 days and provide high-resolution images approximately every 6 days. Each pixel of its radar image will represent an area about half the size of a tennis court.

GSLV's new milestone: This is the first time India's GSLV rocket is putting a satellite into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit, a technological milestone for ISRO and enhancing India's deep space capabilities.

Cost: With a total cost of around US$1.5 billion, NISAR is considered one of the most expensive Earth-imaging satellites in the world.