Nisar launch today: Isro's $96 million bet to catch Earth's quietest twitches
Nisar is a $1.5 billion (12,500 crore) collaboration between Nasa and Isro, and India's share? Just 788 crore (about $96 million). That might sound like a small slice of the pie, but it's a strategic investment with massive returns.WHAT MAKES NISAR SO SPECIAL?NISAR will orbit the Earth once every 97 minutes and map almost the entire land and ice-covered surface of the planet within just 12 days.Its data will be open-source and freely available to researchers, making it a valuable tool for scientists, climate experts, and disaster managers.
Nisar satellite being encapsulated in the GSLV fairing. (Photo: Isro)
What sets NISAR apart is its world-first dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar, combining Nasa's L-band radar and Isro's S-band radar. This unique setup allows it to see through clouds, forests, smoke, and darkness, and detect tiny changes on Earth's surface, down to a few millimeters.With this ability, NISAR can track glacier movements, monitor earthquake fault shifts, and measure land subsidence in cities due to groundwater loss, offering a groundbreaking way to understand and respond to changes on our planet.WHAT DOES INDIA GAIN FROM NISAR?With 788 crore, India isn't just funding a satellite — it's making a strategic leap.This investment secures free, open-source, real-time access to world-class Earth observation data; establishes India's technology leadership through the development of the S-band radar and a homegrown launch; and equips the country with advanced tools for disaster response to floods, earthquakes, and landslides.It directly supports India's climate goals by enabling glacier monitoring, agricultural planning, and water resource management. Most importantly, it strengthens India's global scientific credibility.
This investment secures free, open-source, real-time access to world-class Earth observation data. (Photo: Isro)
Thanks to this collaboration, Indian scientists, farmers, disaster teams, and climate experts gain daily access to high-value data, without bearing the full $1.5 billion cost of building such a mission alone.From helping predict floods in Assam to measuring how fast Himalayan glaciers are melting, NISAR will support India's sustainability and space goals.WATCH ISRO LAUNCH NISAR ON GSLV-F16 LIVE HERE - EndsMust Watch
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The Hindu
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