30th July ‘NISAR’ launch to upscale ISRO’s international collaborations: Dr Jitendra

Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 27: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that the 30th July “NISAR” launch from Sriharikota will upscale ISRO’s international collaborations.
Briefing the media, the Minister for Science and Technology disclosed that the much-anticipated launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite mission is scheduled for July 30, 2025 at 17:40 hrs from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. As the first joint Earth observation mission between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the event marks a defining moment in the journey of Indo-US space cooperation as also in ISRO’s overall international collaborations, he said.
The mission will be launched aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, who has been monitoring the mission closely, said the launch reflects the maturing of strategic scientific partnerships and India’s emergence as a credible global player in advanced Earth observation systems. While expressing his wish to be physically present at Sriharikota to witness the historic event, the Minister acknowledged that the ongoing Parliament session may hold him back in Delhi.
“This mission is not just about a satellite launch-it is a moment that symbolises what two democracies committed to science and global welfare can achieve together. NISAR will not only serve India and the United States but will also provide critical data for countries around the world, especially in areas like disaster management, agriculture and climate monitoring,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Dr Jitendra Singh further noted that this mission lives up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India becoming a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’-a global partner that contributes to the collective good of humanity.
The NISAR mission combines the technological expertise of both agencies. NASA has contributed the L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a high-rate telecommunication subsystem, GPS receivers and a deployable 12-meter unfurlable antenna. ISRO, on its part, has provided the S-Band SAR payload, the spacecraft bus to accommodate both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and all associated launch services. The satellite weighs 2,392 kg and will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit, offering repeat imaging of the entire Earth’s land and ice surfaces every 12 days.
From an applications standpoint, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted that NISAR’s capabilities extend well beyond traditional earth observation. “It will allow continuous monitoring of ecosystem disturbances and help assess natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. It will track even subtle changes in the earth’s crust and surface movement. Importantly, the satellite’s data will also be used for sea ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm tracking, crop mapping, and changes in soil moisture-all of which are vital for Governments, researchers and disaster management agencies,” he said.
A key feature of the mission is that all data generated by NISAR will be made freely accessible within one to two days of observation, and in near real-time in case of emergencies. This democratization of data is expected to support global scientific research and decision-making, especially for developing countries that may not have access to similar capabilities.
Notably, the NISAR mission is the first time a GSLV rocket is being used to place a satellite in sun-synchronous polar orbit, signalling ISRO’s growing technical sophistication in supporting diverse space missions. The dual radar payload aboard NISAR will employ SweepSAR technology for high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night imaging of the Earth’s surface with a wide swath of 242 kilometres.

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