India and the United States are gearing up for a major milestone in space collaboration, as the jointly developed Earth observation satellite NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is scheduled for launch today at 5:40 PM IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The mission is worth $1.5 billion and is being seen as a major leap in monitoring Earth’s surface changes, particularly for tracking natural disasters and environmental shifts.

What is NISAR?

NISAR is the first satellite mission that will use dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar, combining NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band radars. These will operate using NASA’s 12-meter-wide unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, fixed on ISRO’s customised I-3K satellite bus.

The radar system will allow scientists to scan the Earth with high precision, helping monitor things like land movement, glaciers, forests, and ocean conditions in both the Indian and global context.

ISRO began the launch countdown at 2:10 PM on July 29. The launch vehicle, a 51.7-meter tall GSLV-F16, will carry the 2,393 kg satellite into space from the second launch pad at Sriharikota.

ISRO confirmed on X (formerly Twitter):

"GSLV-F16/NISAR Today’s the day! Launch Day has arrived for GSLV-F16 and NISAR. GSLV-F16 is standing tall on the launch pad. NISAR is ready. Liftoff today."

The launch will be carried out in phases: launch, deployment, commissioning, and science operations, ISRO announced.

According to ISRO, the satellite will study the Earth as a system from a Sun-synchronous orbit.
 Its main focus will be on:

  • Land and ice deformation

  • Forest and vegetation changes

  • Mountain shifts

  • Glacier activity in regions like the Himalayas, Antarctica, and the polar regions

These observations will help researchers better understand long-term changes in the environment and improve disaster preparedness.

The design and development of the satellite took around 8 to 10 years, involving close teamwork between ISRO and NASA scientists. The spacecraft and launch system were developed by ISRO, while NASA contributed key systems like the L-band radar, high-speed data link, and GPS receiver.

ISRO is responsible for satellite operations, while “NASA would provide the orbit manoeuver and RADAR operations plan,” the agency said.

Once NISAR reaches orbit, the first 90 days will focus on commissioning, checking the satellite’s systems, and preparing it for full operations.

Both NASA and ISRO ground stations will be used to download and process the data, which will later be shared with researchers and users globally.



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