NISAR is designed to monitor surface changes such as ground deformation, ice sheet movement, soil moisture levels, and shifts in vegetation.
Published Jul 22, 2025 | 8:57 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 22, 2025 | 8:57 PM
NISAR satellite in Earth orbit (artist's concept)
ISRO has announced that the NASA–ISRO joint Earth observation satellite, NISAR, will lift off on 30 July at 5.40 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The launch will be carried out aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket.
Weighing 2,392 kg, the satellite will be placed in a 743 km Sun-synchronous orbit. It carries a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar – NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band – to enable high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night imaging of the Earth’s surface every 12 days.
NISAR uses SweepSAR technology to monitor surface changes such as ground deformation, ice sheet movement, soil moisture levels, and shifts in vegetation. The satellite will also support disaster response, sea ice monitoring, ship detection, and water resource mapping.
The mission represents over a decade of collaboration between ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
