Indo-US NISAR Launch Set for July 30 From Sriharikota
26 July 2025 6:26 AM IST26 July 2025 6:26 AM IST
GSLV-F16, which will carry the satellite, put in position at the second launch pad early on Thursday morning
According to ISRO, the launch is scheduled at 5:40 p.m. IST on July 30, 2025. (Image credit: Social media)
TIRUPATI: NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), an Earth observation satellite jointly developed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has moved a step closer to launch with the GSLV-F16 that will carry the satellite, safely positioned on the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota.
According to ISRO, the launch is scheduled at 5:40 p.m. IST on July 30, 2025. The GSLV-F16 will carry the 2,392 kg satellite into a 743-km, Sun-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98.40 degrees. With a swath of 242 km and high spatial resolution enabled by SweepSAR technology, NISAR is designed to deliver comprehensive, all-weather, day-and-night data every 12 days.
In preparation of the mission, the GSLV-F16 rocket has been moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad in the early hours of Thursday. SHAR Director A. Rajarajan flagged off the vehicle at 4:30 a.m. It reached the launch pad by 7 a.m. Various integration checks and technical inspections are currently underway at the launch pad. Following these, ISRO will conduct a rehearsal before initiating the pre-countdown and final countdown activities leading up to the scheduled launch.
NISAR is the first Earth observation satellite to use dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar systems, L-band (from NASA) and S-band (from ISRO). Both radars are mounted on a 12-meter deployable mesh reflector supplied by NASA and integrated onto ISRO’s modified I3K satellite platform. The satellite will monitor changes in the Earth’s surface, including ground deformation, ice sheet movement and vegetation patterns.
In preparation of the mission, the GSLV-F16 rocket has been moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad in the early hours of Thursday. SHAR Director A. Rajarajan flagged off the vehicle at 4:30 a.m. It reached the launch pad by 7 a.m. Various integration checks and technical inspections are currently underway at the launch pad. Following these, ISRO will conduct a rehearsal before initiating the pre-countdown and final countdown activities leading up to the scheduled launch.
NISAR is the first Earth observation satellite to use dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar systems, L-band (from NASA) and S-band (from ISRO). Both radars are mounted on a 12-meter deployable mesh reflector supplied by NASA and integrated onto ISRO’s modified I3K satellite platform. The satellite will monitor changes in the Earth’s surface, including ground deformation, ice sheet movement and vegetation patterns.
Additional applications include sea ice classification, ship and shoreline monitoring, storm tracking, soil moisture assessment, surface water mapping, and support for disaster response efforts.
The launch follows more than a decade of technical collaboration between ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, representing a key step in their ongoing partnership in space-based Earth observations.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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