NASA-ISRO NISAR launched: 10 fiery images from the liftoff of the world's costliest satellite

World’s Most Expensive Satellite NISAR Lifts Off: NASA-ISRO’s joint $1.5 billion mission takes flight from Sriharikota — marking a milestone in global climate research. (Image: ISRO)

Historic Liftoff from Sriharikota: The GSLV rocket blazes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 5.40 p.m., carrying the 2,392-kg NISAR satellite. (Image: ISRO)

10-Year Collaboration Takes Flight: A team of NASA scientists was present in Sriharikota to witness the launch of the satellite co-developed with ISRO over a decade. (Image: ISRO)

Packed With Cutting-Edge Tech: NISAR carries two advanced radar systems — NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band — to detect the tiniest shifts on Earth. (Image: ISRO)

Massive Gold Antenna Unfolds in Space: The satellite features a 12-metre gold mesh antenna, one of the largest deployed in low Earth orbit. (Image: ISRO)

Eye in the Sky for a Changing Planet: Orbiting at 747 km, NISAR scans every inch of Earth every 12 days, detecting land movement, deforestation, and snow melt. (Image: ISRO)

Revolution in Climate and Disaster Tracking: From monitoring quakes to forecasting floods, NISAR’s real-time data aims to aid disaster response and climate resilience. (Image: ISRO)

Data for All – Within Hours: In a rare move, NISAR’s findings will be publicly available, empowering scientists and governments with rapid insights. (Image: ISRO)

A Symbol of Global Cooperation: India’s Science Minister called the mission a “sign of friendship” between two democratic tech powers. (Image: ISRO)

Beginning of a New Space Chapter: Experts believe NISAR is the most detailed Earth-monitoring tool yet — a bold step into the future of space science. (Image: ISRO)