NASA-ISRO's NISAR satellite launches today—When, how to watch the lift-off
What's the story
NASA and ISRO are set to launch their joint Earth observation satellite NISAR later today. This synthetic aperture radar satellite will lift off aboard India's GSLV‑F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 5:40pm. The mission will place NISAR into a sun‑synchronous orbit at roughly 743 km altitude to enable global coverage. You can catch the live broadcast of the launch on ISRO's official YouTube channel, with streaming set to begin at 5:10 pm.
Satellite capabilities
What is NISAR satellite?
NISAR is the first satellite to carry dual‑frequency synthetic aperture radar—L‑band from NASA and S‑band from ISRO. These instruments can penetrate clouds, vegetation, soil, and ice, enabling precise detection of changes in Earth's surface, down to millimeter scale. The satellite will scan nearly all of Earth's land and ice surfaces every 12 days, providing high-resolution, all-weather data essential for tracking natural disasters like earthquakes, landslides, floods, and glacial changes.
Mission objectives
Satellite will start operations by November
After launch, NISAR will undergo a commissioning phase lasting about 90 days. During this period, calibration, testing, and antenna deployment will occur. The science operations phase will begin once checks are complete. Weighing approximately 2,390kg, NISAR represents a decade of collaboration between NASA and ISRO. The mission, valued at around $1.5 billion, is designed to democratize access to next‑generation Earth observation data. It supports global climate monitoring, agricultural management, ecosystem research, and disaster readiness.