India successfully launches NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite

Sriharikota

Marking a major step in US-India space collaboration, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched on Wednesday. The satellite lifted off aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 5:40 PM.

Around 19 minutes post-launch, the GSLV-F16 placed NISAR into a 743-km sun-synchronous orbit. This is the first time ISRO’s GSLV has been used for such an orbit.

NISAR is the first joint Earth observation mission between NASA and ISRO. It combines NASA's L-band radar with ISRO's S-band radar, mounted on a shared spacecraft bus. Together, they will offer high-resolution imagery to monitor Earth's land, ice, and natural changes every 12 days, using dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for the first time.

Weighing 2,392 kg, the satellite is equipped to scan a 242-km swath using SweepSAR technology. It will capture images 24/7 in all weather and lighting conditions. This will help detect landslides, monitor earthquakes, track storms, and study climate change. The data will also aid in sea ice tracking, soil moisture observation, crop mapping, and shoreline monitoring.

Valued at $1.5 billion, NISAR aims to improve disaster response, environmental monitoring, and Earth science research. ISRO developed the S-band radar, satellite bus, and launch vehicle, while NASA provided the L-band radar, GPS receivers, and a 12-meter deployable antenna.

This mission highlights growing US-India cooperation in space, with 2025 being hailed as a landmark year for civil space collaboration. Scientists hope NISAR will transform how we observe and protect our planet.