Earth observation NISAR satellite will be launched on Jul 30, says ISRO chairman

Chennai | The unique Earth observation satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) will be launched through the GSLV-S16 on July 30, said ISRO chairman V Narayanan.

Weighing 2,392 kg, NISAR is a unique Earth observation satellite and the first to observe the Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band) both using NASA's 12m unfurlable mesh reflector antenna, integrated to ISRO's modified 13k satellite bus.

It will observe earth with a swath of 242 km and high spatial resolution, using SweepSAR technology for the first time, according to the space agency.

It will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

“The Earth observation satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA will be sent into space on July 30 by the GSLV-F16 rocket made in India,” Indian Space Research Organisation chairman V Narayanan said.

It will be launched at a distance of 740 km. It can take pictures of the earth 24 hours a day in all weather conditions and the satellite can detect landslides, aid in disaster management and monitor climate change, he said while speaking to reporters at the airport here on Sunday night.

“The satellite will benefit India, the US and the entire world… it is also crucial for monitoring earth's natural resources,” he added.

On Gaganyaan, India's human spaceflight Mission, Narayanan said a humanoid, called Vyommitra, will be sent into space in December this year. Once it proved to be successful, two other uncrewed missions would be launched next year.

Following the success, the Gaganyaan Mission will be launched in March 2027 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.