The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite is finally ready for liftoff. Slated for launch on July 30 at 5:40 PM IST from Sriharikota aboard ISRO’s GSLV-F16, this groundbreaking satellite will be placed in a 743 km sun-synchronous orbit to scan the Earth with unmatched clarity and frequency.
This is the first Earth observation satellite jointly developed by the United States and India, backed by a nearly equal investment from both agencies—$1.2 billion in total.
Why NISAR Is a Game-Changer for Earth Observation
What sets NISAR apart is its dual-frequency radar imaging capability—NASA’s L-band (1.25 GHz) and ISRO’s S-band (3.2 GHz). It’s the first satellite to use this combination, enabling the measurement of ground-level changes with sub-centimeter precision, regardless of time of day or weather conditions.
Its 12-day revisit cycle and ability to monitor a 242 km swath of the Earth’s surface using SweepSAR technology will empower scientists with consistent, high-resolution data across diverse terrains.
What Will NISAR Track and Monitor?
The satellite will have wide-ranging applications:
- Earthquake and landslide risk prediction
- Monitoring of glaciers and ice sheets
- Detection of ground deformation
- Vegetation dynamics and forest biomass mapping
- Soil moisture changes, sea ice, storms, and shoreline erosion
- Rapid disaster response and mapping of surface water resources
Crucially, NISAR can see through clouds and function day and night, making it ideal for regions like the Himalayas where cloud cover limits conventional monitoring.
A True Technical Partnership
While NASA provided the L-band radar, 12-metre reflector antenna, GPS receivers, and science data systems, ISRO contributed the spacecraft bus, S-band radar, launch vehicle, and launch services. The satellite weighs 2,392 kg and integrates NASA’s advanced antenna onto ISRO’s I3K satellite bus.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead
Though originally scheduled for launch in 2024, NISAR faced delays due to corrective work on NASA’s reflector antenna. With those issues resolved, the mission now moves forward as a major symbol of international cooperation in space science.
As Prime Minister Modi noted earlier this year, NISAR is not just a technological milestone, but also a reflection of deepening strategic ties between India and the United States.
