ISRO-NASA joint mission ‘NISAR’: To be launched on 30 July 2025

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the ‘NISAR’ satellite, jointly developed with the US space agency NASA, will be launched from Sriharikota on July 30, 2025 at 5:40 pm Indian time. ISRO has shared information about this important mission on the official social media platform.

The $1.5 billion ultra-modern mission’s primary objective is to make detailed observations of the Earth’s surface. The NISAR satellite will scan the entire Earth’s land and icy surfaces every 12 days with its unique capabilities, making it the first satellite of its kind in the world.

The satellite uses NASA-developed L-band and ISRO-built S-band radar technology, which are considered to be the most advanced globally. This technology is capable of providing highly accurate images down to a centimetre level.

The practical significance of the NISAR mission is immense. It will be helpful in real-time monitoring of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides and floods. Additionally, the satellite will also study ground deformation, changes in ice sheets and vegetation dynamics.

NISAR’s contribution to the agriculture sector will also be significant, as it will provide accurate data on soil moisture, mapping surface water and the effects of climate change. According to ISRO, this mission is a significant achievement in over a decade of international collaboration with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).