India Launches NISAR Satellite

Subject: Science & Technology

India successfully launched NISAR (NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), the first joint Earth-observation satellite mission between ISRO and NASA, for advanced environmental monitoring and disaster management.

Launch Details

• Launcher: GSLV-F16 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle).

• Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

• Satellite mass: 2,392 kg.

• Orbit: Sun-synchronous polar orbit (first time GSLV used for this purpose).

  • Passes over the same part of the Earth at the same local solar time on each pass.

• Orbit injection: Completed 18 minutes post-launch.

• Mission life: 5 years.

Unique Features & Technology

• Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR):

  • L-band radar (NASA) + S-band radar (ISRO).

  • 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna (developed by NASA).

• SweepSAR technology: Ensures wide swath (242 km) + high spatial resolution.

• Imaging capability: All-weather, day-and-night, at 12-day intervals.

Applications

• Disaster management: Detecting ground deformation, ice sheet movement, landslides, and supporting earthquake & flood monitoring.

• Environmental monitoring: Crop mapping, soil moisture tracking, vegetation dynamics, surface water & shoreline changes, storm characterization.

• Defence & strategic use: Ship detection, sea ice classification, and coastal surveillance.

• Climate tracking: Long-term environmental and resource mapping.

Collaborative Contributions

• NASA (via JPL):

  • Built L-band SAR, radar antenna reflector, antenna boom, and engineering payload.

  • Confirmed signal acquisition post-launch.

• ISRO:

  • Built spacecraft bus (modified I3K architecture), S-band SAR, solar arrays, and launch vehicle.

Mission Phases

1. Launch Phase: GSLV-F16 placed NISAR in orbit.

2. Deployment Phase (Day 10): 12-metre reflector antenna deployed using multi-stage boom.

3. Commissioning Phase: System testing & calibration.

4. Science Phase: Full-scale Earth observation & data collection.

Significance

NISAR strengthens India’s disaster preparedness, agriculture and water management, and climate monitoring. It also represents a landmark in Indo-US space collaboration, combining NASA’s radar technology with ISRO’s cost-effective launch capabilities.

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