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NASA-ISRO satellite set for July 30 launch
The launch is scheduled for July 30 at 17:40 IST from Sriharikota, with the satellite set to be deployed into a stable, sun-synchronous orbit.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 22, Jul 2025
- 13:39 EDT
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NISAR satellite / Credit: ISRO
A joint satellite mission by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch on July 30, marking a significant step in U.S.-India space collaboration.
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite aims to systematically map Earth’s surface with unprecedented precision using dual-frequency radar technology. It is designed to observe nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces every 12 days, providing critical data to monitor changes in terrestrial ecosystems, glaciers, ice sheets, and the planet’s crust.
Also Read: NASA-ISRO’s new satellite to revolutionize crop monitoring
The satellite’s radar will be sensitive enough to detect ground movement down to a few centimeters, allowing it to track tectonic activity, land subsidence, landslides, glacier dynamics, sea-level rise, agricultural patterns, and urban infrastructure changes.
NASA and ISRO have said that the data—expected to generate around 80 terabytes per day—will be processed in the cloud and made freely available to users worldwide. During emergency events, key data could be released within hours.
The satellite was encapsulated in its payload fairing on July 18 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, ahead of its launch aboard the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle F16 (GSLV-F16). The fairing will protect the satellite during launch and separate once the vehicle exits Earth’s atmosphere.
Developed over several years, NISAR will be the first satellite globally to carry dual-frequency L-band and S-band synthetic aperture radar instruments. The payload includes a 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector that enables high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night imaging.
According to ISRO, NISAR will map a swath of 242 km with spatial resolutions ranging from five to ten metres from a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 743 km.
Budgeted at an estimated $1.5 billion, NISAR is among the most expensive Earth observation missions to date. NASA is contributing roughly $1.118 billion, while ISRO’s share stands at about $95 million. Analysts say the investment highlights not only the technical complexity of the mission but also the growing strategic and scientific cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.
Over 180 organizations worldwide have already registered interest in using NISAR’s data for applications ranging from disaster response and climate research to agricultural planning and infrastructure management.
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