ISRO-NASA joint satellite ‘NISAR’ to launch today from Sriharikota

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA are set to launch their collaborative Earth observation satellite, NISAR, on Wednesday, at 5:40 p.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The mission, valued at $1.5 billion, aims to revolutionise the way we monitor Earth’s surface, particularly in tracking natural disasters and environmental changes.

Dual-band observation of Earth

NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a landmark project, marking the first time the Earth will be observed using dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar, NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band. These radars will be operated using NASA’s 12-meter unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, mounted on ISRO’s customized I-3K satellite bus.

Weighing 2,392 kilograms, the satellite will be carried into space aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket.

SweepSAR technology used for the first time

The satellite will be inserted into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 740 km, where it will scan the Earth’s landmass and ice-covered surfaces every 12 days with high-resolution imagery over a 242-kilometer swath, utilizing SweepSAR technology for the first time.

“The Earth observation satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA will be sent into space on July 30 by the GSLV-F16 rocket made in India,” said ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan.

He emphasised the satellite’s role in providing 24×7 imagery regardless of weather or lighting conditions.

Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport on Sunday night (July 27), Narayanan added, “It can take pictures of the Earth 24 hours a day in all weather conditions and the satellite can detect landslides, aid in disaster management and monitor climate change.”

Earlier on Sunday, the Department of Space said in a press release, “The NISAR mission combines the technological expertise of both agencies. NASA has contributed the L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a high-rate telecommunication subsystem, GPS receivers, and a deployable 12-meter unfurlable antenna. ISRO, on its part, has provided the S-Band SAR payload, the spacecraft bus to accommodate both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and all associated launch services.”