Using L-band and S-band radar, NISAR will map the globe every 12 days from a 743 km orbit, monitoring changes like melting glaciers, sea levels, and natural disasters.
Come July 30 at 5:40 PM, all eyes will turn to the skies above Sriharikota, where India and the United States are set to take a historic leap together. In a major milestone for international space collaboration, ISRO and NASA will launch NISAR, their first-ever joint satellite for Earth observation.
The satellite will ride into orbit aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket, which will place it in a sun-synchronous orbit 743 km above Earth, circling the planet from pole to pole. The launch marks more than just a technical achievement — it's a powerful symbol of how nations can come together to better understand the planet we all call home.
So, what makes NISAR special?
Short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, NISAR is a Low Earth Orbit observatory equipped with two types of radar systems — L-band and S-band SAR — developed respectively by NASA and ISRO. These radar eyes will allow NISAR to scan Earth’s surface with incredible accuracy, picking up even subtle shifts and changes.
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Once in operation, NISAR will map the entire globe every 12 days, capturing crucial data to help scientists monitor everything from melting glaciers and rising sea levels to forest cover, agricultural patterns, and even earthquakes and landslides. Its unique ability to combine data from two radar bands makes it a first-of-its-kind satellite, giving researchers a deeper look into how our planet is changing — and why.
For the first 90 days after launch, NISAR will undergo a commissioning phase, known as In-Orbit Checkout (IOC), to ensure all systems are ready for full scientific operation.
In a world increasingly shaped by climate change and natural disasters, the NISAR mission stands out as a beacon of scientific cooperation and shared responsibility.
