NISAR Satellite Launch: NASA-ISRO collaborative satellite successfully placed in Earth's orbit

NISAR will scan Earth using dual-frequency radar and provide high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night data every 12 days. Its observations will support critical applications ranging from disaster response and agriculture monitoring to climate and ecosystem tracking, marking a major step forward in Indo-US space cooperation.

Get all the live updates on NASA-ISRO NISAR launch here:

• ISRO Chief Hails Precise Orbit Insertion, Credits NISAR Success to ISRO-JPL Teamwork: “We achieved the intended orbit with precision,” said ISRO chief V Narayanan after GSLV-F16 successfully placed NISAR in Earth’s orbit. He credited the success to the combined efforts of ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) teams.


• First and second stages of the GSLV rocket have fired successfully, propelling the NISAR satellite ahead. The cryogenic stage is now in operation.


• NASA-ISRO’s joint Earth observation satellite, NISAR, was successfully launched at 5:40 PM on Wednesday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The satellite lifted off on schedule aboard ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) from India’s southeastern coast, marking a significant milestone in the India-US space partnership.


• Lift Off in 2 mins:  The launch sequence for the NASA-ISRO NISAR mission has been initiated and lift off will take place in 2 mins. The satellite will be supported by ground stations from both space agencies to receive the captured images. After processing, the data will be made available to the global user community.


• Watch the liftoff of world’s most expensive satellite: The launch will stream live via ISRO and NASA.


• NISAR marks India’s scientific handshake with the world, says Jitendra Singh: “NISAR is not just a satellite; it is India’s scientific handshake with the world,” said Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, ahead of the NASA-ISRO radar satellite launch. He noted that the mission aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India as a Vishwa Bandhu—a global partner contributing to the greater good of humanity.

• “Major Collaboration Between Two Great Agencies,” Space scientist applauds "game-changing" launch: Space scientist and professor R.C. Kapoor hailed the launch of NISAR as a landmark moment, calling it “the most advanced Earth observation satellite” yet. Speaking ahead of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, Kapoor described the project as a “major collaboration between two great agencies, NASA and ISRO.”

“It will generate a tremendous amount of data daily, which will be extremely valuable for scientists, disaster managers, policymakers, and environmental researchers,” Kapoor said, adding that the satellite’s observations will greatly aid in understanding Earth’s surface changes and natural hazards. (ANI)

• “Historic moment for ISRO and NASA”: ISRO SAC Director on NISAR launch: As the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite readies for launch aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket from Sriharikota, ISRO Space Applications Centre Director Nilesh M Desai has hailed the mission as a significant milestone in space collaboration.“This is a historic moment for both ISRO and NASA. It’s a joint project and one of the costliest missions ever. It truly reflects the strength of cooperation between two great democratic nations — India and the United States,” Mr. Desai told ANI.


• Why NASA-ISRO Satellite NISAR is so special? The NISAR satellite weighs 2,392 kilograms and is packed with new tech. It carries two radar systems, NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band. These help scan changes across land and water on Earth. The satellite will go into a polar orbit 747 kilometres above the planet. (Read More: Why NASA-ISRO Satellite NISAR Is a Big Deal)


• NISAR Launch Marks 102nd Liftoff from Sriharikota:  The NISAR mission marks the 18th flight of the GSLV and its 12th using an indigenous cryogenic stage. It is also the 102nd launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.The satellite will be supported by ground stations from both ISRO and NASA to receive the captured data, which will be processed and shared with the user community.


• NASA Team at Sriharikota: A NASA team is at Sriharikota to witness the launch of the NISAR mission, a joint effort with India developed over the past 10 years.