Outlook Business Desk
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr V Narayanan confirmed that the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite will launch by July 30, 2025, aboard India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)–S16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The lift-off is scheduled for 5:40 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). This joint mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and (ISRO) aims to study Earth’s land and ice surfaces using advanced dual radar systems for high-precision data.
“We are going to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite through the GSLV-S16 rocket by July 30th. We will conduct three uncrewed missions before the Gaganyaan Mission,” said ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan, as quoted by ANI.
“In December, a humanoid mission will be conducted, during which a robot called Vyommitra will be sent into space. If it's successful, then two uncrewed missions will be launched next year. After all the tests in March 2027, as PM Modi said, Gaganyan Mission will be launched.” Narayanan added.
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission aims to monitor Earth’s changing surface. It will track land deformation like earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides—providing critical data for scientific research and disaster management.
“It will track how much glaciers and ice sheets are advancing or retreating and it will monitor growth and loss of forests and wetlands for insights on the global carbon cycle,” NASA stated.
NISAR will scan nearly all land and ice-covered regions twice every 12 days, capturing both horizontal and vertical shifts. Combined with other satellite data, it’ll offer the most detailed map yet of Earth’s surface motion.
NISAR is the first Earth-observing satellite to use two radar frequencies—L-band with a 25-centimetre wavelength and S-band with a 10-centimetre wavelength. This dual-radar system enables high-precision detection of subtle changes across land, forests, glaciers, and more.
NISAR will also focus on ecosystems, the cryosphere (Earth’s frozen zones), and the planet’s solid surface. Its insights into soil moisture and water resources aim to drive long-term climate resilience and global environmental understanding.