SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is poised to launch the highly anticipated NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, today at 17:40 IST.
Developed jointly by ISRO and NASA, NISAR is a cutting-edge Earth observation satellite, created over more than ten years with a combined investment of over $1.5 billion. The mission represents a significant collaboration between the two space agencies and aims to monitor changes to Earth's land surfaces, ice sheets, and portions of the ocean with unprecedented accuracy.
First GSLV mission to inject satellite into Sun-Synchronous Orbit
The 2,392 kg satellite will be launched into a Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket — a notable departure from ISRO’s usual use of PSLV for such missions. It is the first time the GSLV has been tasked with injecting a satellite into this particular orbit.
Once deployed, NISAR will orbit Earth every 97 minutes, capturing high-resolution data of the planet’s surface every 12 days. The mission is expected to operate for at least five years, significantly enhancing global understanding of natural disasters, climate change, and environmental shifts.
“Launch Day has arrived for GSLV-F16 & NISAR. GSLV-F16 is standing tall on the pad. NISAR is ready. Liftoff today,” ISRO announced on X (formerly Twitter).
Union Minister Jitendra Singh hailed the project as a “scientific handshake with the world,” underscoring the global importance of the mission in addressing environmental and disaster-related challenges.