NASA-ISRO Set to Launch Groundbreaking NISAR Satellite from India

Bengaluru: In a historic collaboration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are gearing up to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite this July. Scheduled for liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the nearly three-tonne, $1.5 billion satellite marks a new era in Earth observation.

NISAR is the world’s first satellite equipped with dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) – using both L-band and S-band frequencies – enabling it to scan the Earth’s land, ice, and water surfaces every 12 days with unprecedented accuracy. Unlike optical satellites that rely on clear skies and daylight, NISAR can collect data day or night, in all weather conditions, even penetrating clouds, smoke, and dense vegetation.

Jointly developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, NISAR is a powerful symbol of international cooperation in space science. The mission, over a decade in the making, brings together cutting-edge radar technologies from both agencies.

One of NISAR's standout features is its commitment to open science. All high-resolution images and data gathered by the satellite will be freely available to researchers, governments, and organizations across the globe. This accessibility promises to revolutionize how we respond to natural disasters, track environmental changes, and plan for sustainable development.

NISAR’s radar systems can detect ground movements as subtle as a few millimetres. This makes it an essential tool for monitoring earthquakes, landslides, glacier movements, coastal erosion, dam safety, and even changes in groundwater and forest biomass. It can also help track agricultural patterns and soil moisture, supporting precision farming and food security.

The satellite recently completed integration and testing at ISRO’s Bengaluru facility, where engineers from both NASA and ISRO have worked side-by-side since March 2023. It is now undergoing final preparations for its launch aboard an ISRO GSLV Mark II rocket.

With NISAR, NASA and ISRO aim to provide the world with a critical resource in the fight against climate change and natural disasters — a truly global mission powered by science, technology, and partnership.