NISAR Launch LIVE: NASA-ISRO Earth Observation Satellite Launched from Sriharikota

Following its successful launch today, July 30, the NISAR satellite is expected to operate in Earth's orbit for a minimum of three years. During this period, its advanced radar systems will meticulously scan nearly all of the planet's land and ice-covered regions twice every 12 days.

On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 5:40 PM IST, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) successfully lifted off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India. The rocket is carrying the 2,392-kilogram NISAR satellite.

The initial two stages of the GSLV rocket have performed as expected, successfully propelling the NISAR satellite on its trajectory. The cryogenic upper stage has now commenced its operation.

ISRO and NASA's joint mission, the Nisar satellite, was launched on Wednesday evening on its scheduled time.

NISAR is slated to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh today at 17:40 IST.

The NASA-ISRO NISAR mission has now authorised its automatic launch sequence.

Following the launch, the mission will receive support from the ground stations of both space agencies. This support is crucial for downloading the images captured by the satellite. Once these images undergo the necessary processing, they will be distributed to the wider user community.

L-Band and S-Band refer to distinct frequency ranges within the microwave spectrum that are employed by radar systems like Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

The L-Band operates at frequencies of approximately 1–2 Gigahertz (GHz), corresponding to a longer wavelength of about 15–30 centimetres. This longer wavelength allows the L-Band radar to deeply penetrate various surfaces such as vegetation, soil, and snow. In terms of applications, L-Band SAR is particularly effective for studying forests, measuring soil moisture, and detecting ground movement, although it provides slightly lower resolution imagery.

In contrast, the S-Band operates at a higher frequency of 2–4 GHz, resulting in a shorter wavelength of about 7.5–15 centimetres. This makes it more adept at capturing finer structural details and observing surface features, including bodies of water. S-Band SAR offers higher resolution but has a shallower penetration depth. Consequently, it is better suited for tasks like monitoring urban infrastructure, tracking floods, and assessing storm-affected regions.

By combining these two bands, NISAR gains the advantage of complementary insights into Earth's diverse surface and ongoing processes.

The countdown for the GSLV-F16/NISAR mission is currently in progress. The GSLV-F16 rocket, carrying the Earth observation satellite, is scheduled to lift off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 5:40 PM IST today.

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is the first joint satellite of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 
 

Approximately 19 minutes after its launch, the GSLV-F16 rocket will place the NISAR satellite into a 743-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit.

NISAR is NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, which will scan the entire globe every 12 days to provide high-resolution, all-weather, day-night data. 

Nisar Satellite Launch Live: This is the first time a GSLV rocket will place a satellite into Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), a task usually handled by ISRO’s PSLV rockets. The mission will be executed in four stages: launch, deployment, commissioning, and scientific operations.

The NISAR mission stands as a strong symbol of technological synergy between India and the US. It is not just a space milestone but also a scientific one, showcasing how international collaboration can yield tools to better understand and protect our planet.

The NISAR mission aims to thoroughly investigate the Earth, providing essential information to scientists worldwide. Its main goals include examining shifts in land and ice, studying land-based ecosystems, and observing oceanic areas that are of particular interest to both American and Indian scientific communities.

The NISAR satellite is scheduled to launch today, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 5:40 PM IST.

The countdown for the launch began at 2:10 PM IST on July 29th and is proceeding as planned. ISRO has also announced that the mission will comprise four distinct phases: the launch phase, the deployment phase, the commissioning phase, and finally, the science phase.

NASA-ISRO’s NISAR Earth satellite is ready for launch.

The NISAR satellite is equipped with a pioneering dual-radar system. This innovative setup includes an L-band system, utilising a 25-centimetre wavelength, alongside an S-band system, which features a 10-centimetre wavelength.

The spacecraft will circle Earth 14 times a day, scanning nearly all the planet’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days.

Live coverage of the NISAR mission launch will commence at 7:00 AM EDT (which is 4:30 PM IST in India) today, Wednesday, 30th July. The broadcast will originate from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, where the U.S. segment of the mission is coordinated. You can watch the launch live on NASA+ and the agency's official YouTube channel.