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The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Science
- The Hindu
NISAR satellite mounted on GSLV for launch on July 30, 2025
Ahead of the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite scheduled for July 30, 2025, the ISRO on Monday (July 28, 2025) announced that the satellite had been mounted on a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV), and all systems of the rocket had been checked. After lifting off from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 5.40 p.m. on July 30, 2025, the GSLV-F16 rocket will inject the NISAR satellite into a 743-km sun-synchronous orbit. Explained | What are ISRO and NASA aiming to achieve with the NISAR satellite? The NISAR satellite, weighing 2,392 kg, is a unique Earth observation satellite. It will be the first satellite to observe the Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) — NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band — both using NASA's 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated with ISRO's modified I3K satellite bus. With a mission life of five years, NISAR will observe earth with a swathe of 242 km and high spatial resolution, using SweepSAR technology for the first time. Day-and-night data '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 and monitoring of surface water resources, and disaster response,' the ISRO said. The NISAR mission is broadly classified into different phases – launch, deployment, commissioning and science phases. In the launch phase, the satellite will be launched by the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, while in the deployment phase, a 12-metre reflector antenna will be deployed in orbit nine metres away from the satellite by a complex multistage deployable boom. This will be followed by the commissioning phase. 'The first 90 days after launch will be dedicated to commissioning, or in-orbit checkout, the objective of which is to prepare the observatory for science operations. Commissioning is divided into sub-phases of initial checks and calibrations of mainframe elements followed by JPL engineering payload and instrument checkout,' ISRO said. The final science operations phase begins at the end of commissioning and extends till the end of NISAR's five-year mission life. 'During this phase, the science orbit will be maintained via regular manoeuvres, scheduled to avoid or minimise conflicts with science observations. Extensive calibration and validation activities will take place,' ISRO said.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Science
- The Hindu
ISRO all set to launch NISAR satellite to study earth
Ahead of the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite scheduled for July 30, the ISRO on Monday (July 28, 2025) announced that the satellite had been mounted on a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV), and all systems of the rocket had been checked. After lifting off from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 5.40 p.m. on July 30, the GSLV-F16 rocket will inject the NISAR satellite into a 743-km sun-synchronous orbit. Explained | What are ISRO and NASA aiming to achieve with the NISAR satellite? The NISAR satellite, weighing 2,392 kg, is a unique Earth observation satellite. It will be the first satellite to observe the Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) — NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band — both using NASA's 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated with ISRO's modified I3K satellite bus. With a mission life of five years, NISAR will observe earth with a swathe of 242 km and high spatial resolution, using SweepSAR technology for the first time. Day-and-night data '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 and monitoring of surface water resources, and disaster response,' the ISRO said. The NISAR mission is broadly classified into different phases – launch, deployment, commissioning and science phases. In the launch phase, the satellite will be launched by the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, while in the deployment phase, a 12-metre reflector antenna will be deployed in orbit nine metres away from the satellite by a complex multistage deployable boom. This will be followed by the commissioning phase. 'The first 90 days after launch will be dedicated to commissioning, or in-orbit checkout, the objective of which is to prepare the observatory for science operations. Commissioning is divided into sub-phases of initial checks and calibrations of mainframe elements followed by JPL engineering payload and instrument checkout,' ISRO said. The final science operations phase begins at the end of commissioning and extends till the end of NISAR's five-year mission life. 'During this phase, the science orbit will be maintained via regular manoeuvres, scheduled to avoid or minimise conflicts with science observations. Extensive calibration and validation activities will take place,' ISRO said.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
NISAR Mission: Satellite will be placed in orbit by Indian rocket, says ISRO chief
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for a major milestone with the launch of the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission on July 30, 2025. 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.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Science
- Indian Express
ISRO-NASA NISAR mission: 5 things to know about the costliest Earth observation satellite
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), an Earth observation satellite, is scheduled to liftoff at 5:40 PM on July 30 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Designed to provide high-resolution data of our planet's surface, like land and ice, the satellite will showcase how Earth's topography changes over time and help understand natural disasters like landslides and earthquakes. Jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the satellite will be launched on the GSLV-F16 vehicle and has a price tag of $1.5 billion, making it the most expensive Earth observation satellite to date. Ahead of NISAR's launch, here are five things you need to know about the satellite. The two synthetic aperture radars, also called SARs, that will be aboard NISAR are designed to detect changes to Earth's surface down to fractions of an inch. NASA says that the satellite can see through clouds and light rain during both day and nighttime, enabling scientists to continuously monitor natural disasters like earthquakes and landslides. NISAR will also give scientists an 'unprecedented coverage of Antarctica' with information about how ice sheets change over time. Since NISAR will be able to sense minute changes to the Earth's surface, it will help governments to monitor and prepare for human and natural disasters. Talking of earthquakes, NASA says the satellite will help us identify which parts of a fault could slip or cause earthquakes. As for human-made structures like levees, aqueducts and dams, the data collected by NISAR over time can help detect if the land nearby is weakening key structures in the area and damaging their integrity. The satellite's main body has a dual radar payload that consists of an L-band system and an S-band system, with both being sensitive to land and ice surfaces of different sizes. These radar systems can also measure attributes like moisture content, surface roughness, and motion. Every 24 hours, NISAR will be generating roughly 80 terabytes of data. This information will be stored on the cloud and accessible to all. The satellite's two radar systems will monitor Earth's land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days. NISAR will also cover surfaces that haven't been previously covered by any other observational satellites. While the L-band is capable of penetrating deep forest canopies and offering insights into its structure, the S-band is ideal for monitoring crops. The data from these two radars will help researchers understand how forests, wetlands, permafrost and agricultural areas change over time. Developed by engineers at ISRO and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the S-band was built at ISRO's Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, while the L-band was built at a NASA facility in Southern California. These components were then integrated and installed on a modified ISRO I3K spacecraft bus, and the satellite was then transported to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre earlier this year in May. Since then, the satellite's launch has been delayed several times, with the last launch date pushed back after technical issues with the unfurlable antennae.
Daily Tribune
6 days ago
- Science
- Daily Tribune
ISRO to launch NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite on July 30
The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday 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 17:40 IST. According to ISRO, the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite will mark a milestone in over a decade of collaboration between the two space agencies. Additionally, ISRO stated that the satellite would provide high-resolution, dayand-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. 'On July 30, 2025 at 17:40 IST, ISRO's GSLV-F16 will launch NISAR, the first joint Earth observation satellite by ISRO & NASA, from Sriharikota. NISAR will scan the entire globe every 12 days, providing high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night data. It can detect even subtle changes in Earth's surface--like ground deformation, ice sheet shifts, and vegetation dynamics,' ISRO stated in a post on X. '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. 2,392 kg 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 & night data at 12-day interval 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.
