India and the United States are set to take a major step in space collaboration with the scheduled launch of the NISAR Earth observation satellite on Wednesday, July 30, at 5:40 p.m. IST.
The launch will take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota using the GSLV-F16 rocket. Developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the mission is valued at USD 1.5 billion and is expected to bring a new era in Earth monitoring, with a special focus on natural disasters and climate change.
NISAR, which stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, will be the first satellite to use dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar to observe the Earth. It combines NASA’s L-band radar with ISRO’s S-band radar, enabling high-resolution imaging of the Earth’s surface regardless of time of day or weather conditions.
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These radar systems will be operated using NASA’s 12-metre-wide deployable mesh reflector antenna, which has been mounted on ISRO’s customised I-3K satellite bus. The satellite, which weighs 2,392 kilograms, will be placed into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 740 kilometres.
Once in orbit, NISAR will scan the Earth’s landmass and polar ice surfaces every 12 days. It will use SweepSAR technology, which allows the satellite to capture wide-swath images measuring up to 242 kilometres. The satellite will provide consistent and reliable data that can be used for a variety of applications such as detecting landslides, managing natural disasters, studying agricultural patterns, and monitoring changes in sea level and forest cover.
According to ISRO, this will help researchers and governments understand the Earth’s surface changes with greater accuracy and frequency.
The Department of Space confirmed that NASA provided key components for the satellite, including the L-band radar, high-rate telecommunication systems, GPS receivers, and the 12-metre antenna. ISRO has contributed the S-band radar, the satellite bus to carry both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and all the necessary launch services.
The satellite’s data will be freely available to researchers across the world, making it one of the most accessible and collaborative scientific missions launched in recent years.
