ISRO and NASA Launch Groundbreaking Climate Satellite into Orbit
India, on July 30, 2025, made a giant stride in global climate science and space collaboration, launching the world’s first dual-frequency radar imaging satellite. The satellite developed in collaboration between National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), costing US$ 1.5 billion, is called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar). It will allow tracking of natural disasters and changes in climate on Earth with unprecedented detail.
The satellite was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 12:10 GMT and was placed into a near-polar Sun-synchronous orbit 747 kilometers above Earth. Roughly the size of a fully loaded pickup truck, NISAR is powered with two strong radar systems—NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band—capable of detecting centimeter-scale changes on the surface of the planet.
This ultra-detailed imaging capability will enable disaster agencies and scientists all over the world to monitor the melting of glaciers, earthquakes, landslides, changing forest landscapes, etc. With each rotation occurring every 12 days, the satellite will monitor and track a large 240 km sized radar swath across continents, delivering critical insights.
The launch was heralded by V Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO, as a global milestone. He stated that it’s not led by one or two countries; it’s a mission that will help the world as a whole. Casey Swails, Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA, referred to NISAR as a ‘pathfinder’, emphasizing what can be achieved when nations come together in deep collaboration. This mission is a start to a new era of India-US space ties and strengthens India’s leading position in affordable, high-impact space missions.
Image Source: ISRO