ISRO-NASA's Earth observation satellite NISAR set for launch today from Sriharikota

A landmark Indo-US space mission is set to lift off today from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, with the launch of NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), a cutting-edge Earth observation satellite jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA.

The launch, scheduled for 17:40 IST, will see the 2,392 kg satellite carried into a sun-synchronous orbit aboard GSLV-F16 — a notable shift from ISRO’s usual use of PSLV for such missions. This marks the first time a GSLV rocket will be used to inject a satellite into this type of orbit, highlighting a significant evolution in India’s launch capabilities.

The mission is the result of over a decade of collaboration between India and the United States and represents a combined investment exceeding $1.5 billion. NISAR’s sophisticated dual-band radar system will provide high-resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface, enabling detailed tracking of land and ice changes globally every 12 days.

With a five-year mission life, NISAR will orbit the planet every 97 minutes, continuously scanning for minute shifts in land surfaces, ocean patterns, ice sheet dynamics, and even agricultural variations. It is expected to play a vital role in monitoring natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, and tsunamis, as well as contribute to long-term climate and environmental research.

The satellite carries L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radars, enabling it to capture fully polarimetric and interferometric data. It employs an advanced SweepSAR technique to cover wider swaths of Earth while maintaining fine spatial resolution, crucial for tracking small-scale movements like soil shifts or glacier flows.

Beyond its technical achievements, NISAR is significant for its open data policy. All observational data will be made freely available within one to two days, and in near real-time during emergencies.

This approach is expected to benefit researchers, policy-makers, and disaster management agencies worldwide, particularly in developing nations.

The first 90 days post-launch will focus on in-orbit testing and calibration, preparing the satellite for full-scale science operations.