New Delhi, July 30: In a major step forward for India-US space cooperation, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched today from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota aboard India’s GSLV-F16 rocket.
The mission marks the first joint Earth observation venture between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), blending the technical expertise and resources of both nations.
NISAR will play a key role in monitoring environmental changes and natural disasters across the globe. It is designed to track movements of the Earth’s surface, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and landslides. It will also assist in monitoring agricultural activity, soil moisture, sea ice, storm systems, and shoreline changes.
NASA contributed the L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), GPS receivers, a high-rate telecom subsystem, and a 12-meter deployable antenna. ISRO provided the S-Band SAR payload, the satellite bus that houses both payloads, the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, and launch services.
The NISAR mission is not just a scientific milestone, it’s a strategic symbol of growing India-US collaboration in the space sector. It reflects the vision set out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, who, during their February 2025 summit in Washington DC, declared 2025 as a breakthrough year for bilateral civil space cooperation.
Today’s launch follows another significant achievement earlier this year: the joint NASA-ISRO initiative that sent the first Indian astronaut to the International Space Station. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla flew to the ISS aboard a private Axiom Space mission from June 25 to July 15, underscoring India’s growing role in human spaceflight efforts.
During their summit, PM Modi and President Trump also committed to deepening cooperation on long-duration human spaceflight, space safety, and planetary protection. They called for expanded commercial collaboration across areas like satellite technology, connectivity, advanced launch systems, sustainable space operations, and even space tourism and manufacturing.
NISAR stands as a testament to the strength of Indo-US scientific collaboration and the promise of future joint missions that aim to benefit not just both countries, but the wider world.
