NISAR Satellite to Launch on July 30

The NASA-ISRO joint satellite NISAR is scheduled to be launched on July 30 at 5:40 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) will use SweepSAR technology to observe Earth's surface changes with high spatial resolution over a 242-kilometer swath. It will help track ground deformation, ice sheet movements, vegetation dynamics, and more.

ISRO stated that the satellite will be launched into a 743 km sun-synchronous orbit with a 98.4-degree inclination using the GSLV-F16 rocket. It will scan the globe every 12 days, capturing data in all weather conditions, day and night.

Applications of NISAR

• Monitoring minor ground deformations
• Tracking movement of ice sheets and vegetation
• Classifying sea ice
• Detecting ships and observing coastlines
• Storm diagnostics
• Monitoring soil moisture changes
• Mapping surface water resources
• Disaster response support