NISAR soars: Indo-US ‘golden mesh’ to track Earth’s pulse from orbit

The NASA-ISRO radar satellite will map Earth's dynamic changes with centimetre-level accuracy for climate, agriculture, and disaster resilience.

- BY SHUBHENDU PARTH

India and the United States have jointly launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, a landmark Earth observation mission that blends technical prowess with international partnership. Lifted off at 17:40 on 30 July 2025 aboard ISRO's GSLV Mk II rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the 2,380-kilogram satellite was inserted into a 745-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit just over 18 minutes after liftoff.

The mission is the first Earth-observing satellite developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It represents the first collaboration between the two agencies on satellite hardware, and also the first time a GSLV Mk II has been used to launch a payload into a polar orbit.

Earlier, briefing the media on 27 July, the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, called the launch a historic moment for India's growing scientific footprint. "This mission is not just about a satellite launch-it is a moment that symbolises what two democracies committed to science and global welfare can achieve together," he said. "NISAR is not just a satellite; it is India's scientific handshake with the world."

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NISAR measures approximately 5.5 metres and houses a dual-radar system never before flown together—NASA's L-band radar and ISRO’s S-band radar. It also carries two deployable solar arrays, each 5.5 metres long, with a combined surface area of 23 square metres. Together, they generate about 5 kilowatts of power to support the satellite's operations. The spacecraft includes 15 thrusters to enable precise manoeuvring in orbit.

The NISAR will orbit Earth 14 times a day, scanning regions critical to understanding climate change, disaster risk, and natural resource patterns.