The Nisar satellite, a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA, is poised to revolutionize Earth observation with its ability to detect even the smallest shifts across land, sea, and ice sheets. Scheduled for launch at 17:40 IST (12:10 GMT) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in southern India, this innovative satellite weighs 2,392 kg and represents a significant milestone in space exploration.
Described as the "most sophisticated radar we've ever built" by NASA, Nisar is set to become the first satellite designed to observe Earth by utilizing two radar frequencies—NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band. The satellite's sun-synchronous polar orbit will allow it to revisit the same locations on Earth every 12 days, capturing vital data that can assist nations and communities worldwide in preparing for and responding to natural disasters.
NASA will enhance its understanding of Earth's changing surface, with the satellite capable of identifying landscape shifts as small as centimeters. Former NASA scientist Mila Mitra emphasized the importance of these data sets in helping scientists track climate change impacts and other environmental phenomena.
With Earth's surface continuously in flux due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic activities, Nisar will monitor various events such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, glacier melting, and forest fires. In addition, it will provide insights into human-induced land changes stemming from agricultural practices and infrastructure development.
This ambitious project, which comes with a price tag of $1.5 billion, has taken over a decade to materialize. ISRO chairman V. Narayanan hailed the satellite as a "life-saving" tool, reflecting India's growing prominence in the global space arena. The satellite is particularly notable for being constructed by a team of scientists who collaborated remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Indian Science Minister Jitendra Singh characterized the launch as a pivotal moment in US-India space cooperation, highlighting Nisar's role as "India's scientific handshake with the world." This mission follows close on the heels of other recent milestones in India's space endeavors, including the historic Moon landing and the Gaganyaan mission planned for 2027, aiming for the first Indian human spaceflight.
As global scientific communities await the deployment of Nisar, the satellite stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit of international partnerships in tackling pressing global challenges.
