India launches NASA-ISRO earth observation satellite

🚀 ISRO-NASA NISAR Satellite Successfully Launched

Updated – July 31, 2025 | 01:58 AM IST | Sriharikota     

Key Highlights for UPSC Aspirants:

• Launch Date & Time: July 30, 2025, at 5:40 PM IST
• Launch Vehicle: GSLV-F16 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota
• Orbit: Sun-synchronous orbit
• Satellite Weight: 2,392 kg
• Mission Duration: 5 years

About NISAR:

• First joint satellite mission between ISRO and NASA
• Equipped with dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): NASA’s L-band + ISRO’s S-band
• Uses SweepSAR technology for the first time, with 12-meter mesh antenna

Applications:

• Monitor natural disasters: earthquakes, floods, landslides
• Detect tectonic shifts, sea-level changes, crop health, soil moisture
• Aid in infrastructure monitoring and disaster response

Significance:

• Enables day-night, all-weather Earth observation
• Enhances India–US space cooperation
• First time a GSLV placed a satellite into sun-synchronous polar orbit

ISRO Relief:

• Launch brings success after two recent setbacks (PSLV-C61 in May, NVS-02 in Jan 2025)
  
  Source : The Hindu