NISAR Mission: Satellite will be placed in orbit by Indian rocket, says ISRO chief
According to Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space, the satellite will be placed in orbit by an Indian rocket. While speaking to reporters on Friday (July 25, 2025), Dr. Narayanan said, 'On the 30th of July, we are going to have the NISAR mission. The satellite will be placed in orbit by the Indian rocket...'
ISRO said that it will launch the NISAR, the first joint Earth observation satellite by ISRO and NASA, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 30 at 5:40 p.m.
Additionally, ISRO stated that the satellite would provide high-resolution, day-and-night, all-weather data by scanning the entire world every 12 days, identifying minute variations in the Earth's surface, such as vegetation dynamics, ice sheet shifts, and ground deformation.
'The mission will support many critical applications, including sea ice monitoring, ship detection, storm tracking, soil moisture changes, surface water mapping, and disaster response. A milestone in over a decade of collaboration between ISRO & NASA/JPL,' it added. According to ISRO, the NISAR satellite, weighing 2,392 kg, will be injected into a 743 km Sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98.40 degrees. Equipped with dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar—NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band—NISAR features a 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna integrated into ISRO's modified I3K satellite bus.
Utilising SweepSAR technology for the first time, the satellite will offer a 242 km swath with high spatial resolution, enabling comprehensive Earth observation. 'NISAR, weighing 2392 kg, is a unique Earth observation satellite and the first satellite to observe the Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band), both using NASA's 12m unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated to ISRO's modified I3K satellite bus. NISAR will observe Earth with a swath of 242 km and high spatial resolution, using SweepSAR technology for the first time,' ISRO stated in a press release.
NISAR's ability to provide high-resolution, all-weather data every 12 days will support critical applications, from tracking climate change impacts to aiding disaster management.
'The satellite will scan the entire globe and provide all weather, day and night data at 12-day intervals and enable a wide range of applications. NISAR can detect even small changes in the Earth's surface, such as ground deformation, ice sheet movement and vegetation dynamics. Further applications include sea ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm characterisation, changes in soil moisture, mapping & monitoring of surface water resources and disaster response,' the release added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
India–US ‘scientific handshake' to track disasters, climate via NISAR satellite
NEW DELHI: A couple of days ahead of the launch of the NISAR satellite, Union Minister for Space Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday described the mission as a "scientific handshake". 'NISAR is not just a satellite; it is India's scientific handshake with the world,' Dr Singh remarked, adding that the NISAR satellite is scheduled for launch on 30 July from Sriharikota. During a media briefing, Dr Singh explained that NISAR is designed to deliver critical global data related to natural disasters, agriculture, and climate for the benefit of the entire world. Calling it a global benchmark in Indo-US scientific collaboration, he emphasised that, as the first joint Earth observation mission between ISRO and NASA, the launch will mark a significant milestone in the history of Indo-US space cooperation, as well as in ISRO's broader international engagements. He further stated that the mission will be launched aboard India's GSLV-F16 rocket. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite will provide observations that will be made available to policymakers worldwide, aiding in the formulation of more effective responses to challenges posed by climate change. Dr Singh said the mission embodies Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of India becoming a 'Vishwa Bandhu' – a global partner contributing to the collective good of humanity. 'NISAR will not only serve India and the United States but will also provide critical data for countries around the world, especially in areas like disaster management, agriculture, and climate monitoring,' he said. A key feature of the mission, Dr Singh noted, is that all data generated by NISAR will be freely accessible within one to two days of observation, and in near real-time during emergencies. He said the mission combines the technological expertise of both space agencies. ISRO, for its part, has contributed the S-Band SAR payload, the spacecraft bus accommodating both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and all associated launch services. Weighing 2,392 kg, the satellite will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit, enabling repeat imaging of the Earth's land and ice surfaces every 12 days. 'It will allow continuous monitoring of ecosystem disturbances and help assess natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides,' Dr Singh said. One of the satellite's most notable capabilities is its ability to track even subtle changes in the Earth's crust and surface movement. 'The data from the satellite will also be used for sea ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm tracking, crop mapping, and changes in soil moisture – all of which are vital for governments, researchers, and disaster management agencies,' he added.
The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Kalam's rise in life is a lesson for the nation, says ISRO chairman V. Narayanan
'From a paper delivery boy, late President APJ Abdul Kalam rose to become a nuclear scientist and missile man of India,' said V. Narayanan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, here on Sunday. His remarks came on the occasion of the 10th Remembrance Day of Kalam. Mr. Narayanan said the prestigious Bharat Ratna award was not simply conferred on Kalam, but earned by the late President through his sincere hard work. Tracing his journey, he said the year 1969, when Kalam joined ISRO, was the same year when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. ISRO was at its nascent stage, when NASA was trying out various space projects. 'But we can proudly say that India, which began taking baby steps when America completed its space mission, is now looked upon by the world due to its space projects. Speaking about the situation at the time of Independence, he said about 97.5% of the population was in Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, and the average person's life expectancy was 32 years. 'It has increased now to 72 years, which shows our desire and will in developing our country.' The people's dreams at the time of Independence made the impossible possible. Kalam's rise from a village boy to one of the important personalities in the country was one such dream. It was not just his dream, but his country's dream. 'Kalam's success gave courage and lessons to many people like me to dream big and think big. If not for him, many of us would have just dreamt of distant targets,' he added. The book Wings of Fire, penned by Kalam, was the important reason for completing his Ph.D degree, which became one of the important technologies to operate the rockets of ISRO. The life lessons of Kalam should be taken seriously by students to not just work for themselves but also for their country, he added. 'The upcoming launch of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar [NISAR] satellite from India is one such example the students should watch closely,' he further said. Mr. Narayanan paid tributes to Kalam's memorial at Peikarumbu near Rameswaram. Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon also paid his respects at the memorial.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
ISS astronaut makes kimchi fried rice in space: Does it taste any different?
Image credits: Canva (Representative image) If you've been dreaming of going to space, one of the points to note among many is that taking and making your favourite food there, is a limited and rare possibility. Be it your mum's signature dish or a guilty pleasure, living in space requires you to suffice in some basic food for the time being. Over the years, scientists and astronauts have been working to expand the space menu with determined research and have been making gradual progress with it. Expedition 73 is the 73rd long-duration expedition sent to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 19, 2025. The crew will be returning to Earth in November, and till then, the members have been continuing science research and maintenance activities aboard the ISS. On July 24, 2025, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, a flight engineer part of the Expedition 73 crew, had a conversation with 125 participants from 39 countries in the International Space University Space Studies Program held in Seoul, South Korea this year. After hearing how the ISU attendees had been enjoying the local Korean cuisine, Kim shared his own experience of making kimchi fried rice aboard the ISS and how it tasted. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indonesia: Unsold Sofas Prices May Surprise You (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo "They've been enjoying some Korean cuisine. Did you take any Korean cuisine with you to the space station?" asked a person to Kim. "Annyeonghaseyo (hello), I did, of course," began Kim. "I had a cargo mission come up that had some of my most favorite foods. So of course I had kimchi brought up. I had gochujang, which is a red pepper paste, and I had rice come up. So with those ingredients, and of course, some Spam, I was able to make my own space version of kimchi fried rice." How did it taste? Well, according to the astronaut, it wasn't as good as he could make it at home on Earth. However, in space, they have to work with the best they've got, and he "really, really enjoyed it." Image credits: X Kim, 41, is known to share his culinary experiments in space on X (formerly Twitter). Previously, the astronaut with a following of 71.4K had shared a post on making sushi in space with gochujang, fish, spam, rice and wasabi. However, in order to plate the Japanese dish, they had to make use of orient tape so that the sushi wouldn't float away. Recently, he and his crew members also shared a meal with the Axiom 4 crew, where they had shrimp cocktails and crackers for starters, savoury chicken and beef fajitas for the main course and a cake made from sweet bread, condensed milk and walnuts for dessert. Why does food taste different in space? Image credits: X/@JonnyKimUSA Be it kimchi fried rice or sushi, according to astronauts, the food in space does not taste similar to Earth, even with the same ingredients. Why so? One of the primary reasons, as per NASA , is fluid shift. From the early 1960s, astronauts found that their taste buds were not as effective in space as on Earth. This is because fluids in the body are affected by the reduced gravity conditions. While on Earth, gravity pulls the fluid into our legs; in space, it is equally distributed in the body, thus affecting the ability to smell and taste. Additionally, in the confines of a small space like the space station, the food competes with other odours such as body odours, machinery and more and could thus 'dull' the sense of taste.
