NISAR Launch Boosts India–US Space Ties and Global Earth Monitoring
In a landmark moment for international space cooperation and Earth science, India successfully launched the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite aboard the GSLV-F16 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre today at 17:40 IST. The launch marks the beginning of an ambitious Earth observation mission that blends cutting-edge radar technology with unprecedented data accessibility, promising transformative impacts across climate science, disaster management, agriculture, and ecosystem monitoring.
Developed jointly by NASA and ISRO, NISAR is the first mission to employ dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar technology—combining NASA’s L-band SAR with ISRO’s S-band SAR—to deliver high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night imaging of Earth. The satellite will operate in a 743-km sun-synchronous orbit, capturing interferometric data with sub-centimeter precision.
“NISAR is an unprecedented joint satellite mission between NASA and ISRO that marks a new chapter in the growing collaboration between our two space agencies,” said Jorgan K. Andrews, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to India. “As NISAR begins its journey to unlock new insights about the planet, it is a testament to this collaboration.”
Designed to collect over 80 terabytes of radar data per day, NISAR offers near real-time access to its data, with open sharing policies that will benefit researchers, policymakers, businesses, and civil society globally. Its applications span disaster response, glacier monitoring, soil moisture mapping, forest biomass estimation, and urban infrastructure integrity assessments.
A Leap Forward in Earth Science and Risk Resilience
The mission’s high-resolution radar imagery will detect changes in Earth’s surface, including tectonic shifts, volcanic activity, and subsidence, helping forecast and mitigate natural disasters. NISAR’s ability to penetrate cloud cover and vegetation enables comprehensive monitoring of floods, droughts, crop health, and deforestation, supporting sustainable development and climate adaptation strategies.
“NISAR’s advanced radar technology will generate vital data to address global challenges like climate change, disaster response, and resource management,” said Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd.), Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA). “It reaffirms India’s growing role as a trusted global space partner and opens the door for Indian private space players to participate in future collaborative missions.”
The mission’s capabilities align with global priorities, supporting the goals of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and international climate frameworks under the UNFCCC. Its free, high-frequency data stream is expected to empower not only governments and scientific institutions but also startups, universities, and citizen scientists worldwide.
NISAR: Deepening India–U.S. Space Ties
Beyond its scientific merit, NISAR reflects a broader strategic alignment between India and the United States in the space domain. The mission follows a year of intensified bilateral cooperation, including the historic flight of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) in June, through a NASA-ISRO collaboration via AXIOM.
During their February meeting in Washington, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi underscored space cooperation as a priority for the bilateral relationship. NISAR is the result of that vision—an outcome of mutual trust, shared goals, and world-class scientific collaboration.
NASA contributed critical elements including the L-band SAR, telecommunication subsystems, GPS receivers, and a 12-meter deployable antenna, while ISRO supplied the S-band radar, spacecraft bus, GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and mission integration services.
The successful deployment of the satellite adds another feather in ISRO’s cap, following the globally acclaimed Chandrayaan-3 and Mars Orbiter Mission. It further strengthens India’s reputation as a cost-effective, reliable launch partner for complex international missions.
A Mission for the Planet—and the Future
With its dual-band capability, NISAR will provide 12-day revisit coverage over the same location, generating time-series datasets crucial for monitoring sea-level rise, glacial retreat, and land subsidence. In agriculture, its data will improve irrigation efficiency and help forecast crop yields—vital for food security in climate-vulnerable regions.
By offering free and open access to world-class Earth data, NISAR democratizes access to satellite intelligence, particularly for developing nations. It also opens new avenues for commercial innovation in insurance, urban planning, and environmental monitoring through cloud-based analytics and machine learning.
“This mission was primarily led by national agencies, but it paves the way for India’s dynamic private space sector to actively contribute to cutting-edge international collaborations,” Bhatt stressed.
India’s “Golden Era” in Space
India is positioning itself to capture 8% of the global space economy, estimated to grow to US$44 billion by 2033. With increased FDI allowances, fast-tracked licensing, and public-private partnerships, startups like Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos are joining the ecosystem, complementing ISRO’s capabilities.
The NISAR launch is not just a technological feat, it’s a strategic signal. It showcases India’s rising global influence in space science, its readiness for big-league collaboration, and its commitment to using space for solving real-world problems.
As Earth’s challenges grow more complex, NISAR offers a timely tool, and a shared vision, rooted in innovation, openness, and international partnership.