India–US Launch NISAR Satellite: A New Era in Environmental Monitoring
On July 30, 2025, India and the United States jointly launched the NISAR satellite—a landmark mission that leverages dual-frequency SAR radar technology to monitor Earth’s surface changes with unprecedented accuracy. This collaboration marks a major step forward in disaster response, climate science, and space diplomacy.
Main Body:
What is NISAR?
- NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is equipped with both L‑band (NASA) and S‑band (ISRO) radar systems.
- It makes repeated passes over the same region every 12 days, tracking ground shifts, glacier melts, deformation due to earthquakes, volcanic activity, and human-induced changes with centimetre-level precision.Indiatimes
Why It Matters
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Global environmental impact: Targets monitoring of climate change and potential catastrophes such as earthquakes, landslides, and glacial retreats.
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Strategic tech partnership: Strengthens India–US cooperation in space ahead of future high-profile missions like Gaganyaan, moon landings near the lunar south pole, and an Indian orbital space station.