India on Wednesday successfully launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, a landmark in Indo-U.S. space cooperation, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
At 5:40 p.m., the GSLV-F16 rocket lifted off carrying the 2,392-kg satellite. In just 18 minutes, the vehicle placed NISAR into its intended sun-synchronous orbit with precise accuracy. “The GSLV-F16 vehicle has successfully and precisely injected the NISAR satellite into its orbit,” said ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan after the launch.
A First-of-its-Kind Collaboration
NISAR marks the first satellite jointly developed by NASA and ISRO. With a mission life of five years, it represents one of the most ambitious earth-observation projects globally.
According to Casey Swails, Deputy Associate Administrator at NASA, the satellite will “equip decision-makers with the tools to monitor infrastructure, respond faster to natural disasters, and improve crop output.”
The satellite is designed to scan the Earth at 12-day intervals, capturing all-weather, day-and-night imagery. It will observe with a swath of 242 km using the advanced SweepSAR technology — a first in Earth observation satellites.
Why NISAR is Special
NISAR is the world’s first dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, combining:
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NASA’s L-band SAR – ideal for detecting ground deformation, ice-sheet dynamics, and subsurface changes.
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ISRO’s S-band SAR – suited for monitoring soil moisture, crop patterns, and biomass.
Both will operate using a 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna built by NASA, integrated with ISRO’s I3K spacecraft bus.
This dual-frequency system allows NISAR to track even the smallest changes on Earth’s surface — from land subsidence in cities to melting glaciers, shifting coastlines, and forest cover loss.
Applications include:
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Disaster management: floods, landslides, earthquakes, and storm impacts.
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Agriculture: mapping farmlands, soil moisture, and crop growth cycles.
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Forestry & climate: vegetation dynamics, carbon sequestration.
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Polar research: sea ice monitoring, ice-sheet changes.
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Infrastructure: monitoring dams, levees, and urban subsidence.
Phases of the NISAR Mission
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Launch Phase (Completed): Successful insertion into orbit by GSLV-F16.
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Deployment Phase: A 12-metre reflector antenna will be deployed in space, nine metres away from the satellite, using a complex boom mechanism starting from Day 10.
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Commissioning Phase: Calibration and testing of instruments.
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Science Phase: Full-fledged operations for five years, generating massive data streams available to users globally within hours.
India’s Role
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ISRO developed the S-band radar, spacecraft bus, solar arrays, and the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle.
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NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) built the L-band radar, 12-m antenna, and avionics.
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Data reception and processing will be handled by ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for Indian users.
Strategic Implications for India
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Disaster Preparedness: Early warning and mapping of floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and landslides.
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Agricultural Productivity: Soil moisture tracking and biomass mapping will boost crop planning and food security.
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Climate Monitoring: Critical tool for India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
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Geopolitical Edge: Strengthens Indo-U.S. space collaboration and positions India as a global leader in earth observation technologies.
The launch of NISAR is not just a technological milestone but a symbol of India-U.S. cooperation in addressing shared challenges like climate change, food security, and disaster management. With its unparalleled capacity to monitor Earth’s dynamic systems, NISAR will provide India with a strategic scientific and policy tool, shaping both domestic planning and global climate negotiations.
