NASA ISRO Nisar Satellite Launch Live: Only hours left for take-off! ISRO-NASA mega satellite that can track earthquakes, tsunami, forest loss & more
GSLV-F16 Nisar Satellite Launch Live: India will launch the NISAR satellite, a joint ISRO–NASA mission, today from Sriharikota. The 2,393 kg Earth observation satellite will fly aboard the GSLV-F16, marking the rocket's first mission to a Sun-synchronous orbit. Developed over a decade, NISAR (NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) carries dual-frequency radars, NASA's L-Band and ISRO's S-Band, to study land, ice, oceans, and ecosystems worldwide. It will monitor glacier shifts, forest changes, and polar ice movements, providing global data every 12 days. India is set to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite today, marking a major collaboration between ISRO and NASA. Weighing 2,393 kg, NISAR is designed to study the Earth from a Sun-synchronous orbit and will lift off aboard the 51.7-metre tall GSLV-F16 rocket from Sriharikota. This mission, developed over 8–10 years, combines ISRO's S-Band radar and NASA's L-Band radar to monitor land, ice, forests, oceans, and more globally every 12 days. Unlike ISRO's past Earth observation missions focused on India, NISAR is aimed at global environmental studies, benefiting the international scientific community. This is the first time a GSLV rocket will carry a satellite to a Sun-synchronous orbit. Once launched, it will go through a 90-day commissioning phase before beginning science operations, with a planned mission life of 5 years.
FAQs:
1. What is the NISAR satellite?
NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar. It's an Earth observation satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA to study global environmental changes.
2. When and where is NISAR being launched?
NISAR is scheduled to be launched at 5:40 pm on Wednesday from the second launch pad at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
3. Which rocket is carrying NISAR?
The satellite will be carried by GSLV-F16, a three-stage Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.
4. What is unique about this mission?
It is the first time a GSLV rocket is sending a satellite into a Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit. Also, it's a rare collaboration between ISRO and NASA using both Indian and American radar systems.
5. What will NISAR study?
It will monitor forest changes, glacier movements, mountain shifts, land deformation, and ocean regions. It will scan the entire globe every 12 days.
6. How does the satellite work?
It uses dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar: S-Band from ISRO and L-Band from NASA, to capture high-resolution images using the SweepSAR technique.
7. What is the mission duration?
NISAR has a planned life of 5 years.
8. Who controls the satellite after launch?
ISRO will handle the satellite's operations and command, while NASA will manage the orbit manoeuvre and radar operation plans.
9. How will the data be used?
Ground stations of both ISRO and NASA will collect and process the data, which will be shared with global scientists and researchers.
10. What is the significance of this mission?
It strengthens India-US space cooperation and helps the world monitor environmental changes with unmatched detail and frequency.
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