ISRO And NASA Have Launched Their Most Expensive And Powerful Satellite ‘Nisar’. It Can Complete A Circumambulation Of The Earth In 97 Minutes By Crossing The Dense Forests And Darkness

On, Wednesday, July 30, the most expensive and powerful Earth observation satellite, Nisar, is being launched. The budget of this mission is $ 1.5 billion, which is about Rs 12,500 crore. This satellite is a joint effort of NASA and ISRO.

The launch was made from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota using GSLV-F16 rocket at 5:40 pm. The rocket successfully installed Nisar in the Sun-Social orbit at an altitude of 747 km, it took about 18 minutes in the process.

Nisar will revolve around the Earth in a polar orbit at an altitude of 747 km. The polar orbit allows the satellite to pass over the Earth’s poles.

The Sun-Sakalik orbit is a specific type of polar orbit. This is the first example of GSLV rocket installing a satellite in this orbit. The mission is expected to last for 5 years.

The complete details of this mission in the question-answer format are as follows …

Question 1: What is Nisar Satellite?

Answer: Nisar is an advanced satellite, whose full name is NASA-Israo synthetic aperture radar. It has been developed by NASA and ISRO together. The budget of this mission is $ 1.5 billion or about Rs 12,500 crore.

This satellite will complete a orbit of the Earth in 97 minutes. In 12 days, it will make 1,173 rounds and map almost every part of the Earth’s surface.

It can see clouds, dense forests, smoke and even in darkness. In addition, it can also detect very small changes on the Earth’s surface.

Question 2: What are the main goals of Nisar Mission?

Answer: The primary goal of Nisar Mission is to study the Earth and its environment closely. This satellite will focus on three major areas:

Changes in land and snow: It will observe changes on the surface and glaciers of the Earth, such as the land collapse or melting of snow.
Land ecosystem: It will assess the health of forests, fields and other natural areas to understand the state of the environment.
Marine region: It will monitor sea waves, their changes and marine environment.

This data will give scientists a better understanding of climate change, natural disasters and environmental conditions. The data of the mission will be open and free for all.

Question 3: How is it different from traditional satellites?

Answer: Traditional satellites cannot accurately track the acute changes on Earth. Nisar solves this problem by taking high-quality photos throughout the year. This will reveal both small and large activities of the Earth in almost real time.

Question 4: How does Nisar Satellite function?

Answer: The Nisar satellite has a 12 meter diameter and a red layer of gold, which is placed on a 9 meter long boom. This antenna emits a microwave signal towards the Earth, which return and provide data. Remarkable, it acts without the need for sunlight.

This satellite is the first satellite to use two types of radars – L -band of NASA and S -Band of ISRO:

L-Band: 24 cm wavelength. It is more effective to look inside forests or dense surfaces.
S-band: 9 cm wavelength. These waves are useful for detecting microscopic details.

Nisar can also monitor changes in the Earth up to the centimeter scale. For example, if a place on Earth rises 10 cm below or 15 cm above, Nisar will show it with colors. For example:

Green: Earth rises a few centimeters above
Red: Earth has risen 15 cm above
Blue: Earth has fallen a few centimeters down
Purple: Earth has fallen 10 cm below

Question 5: How many stages is this mission divided?

Answer: This mission consists of four major stages:

1. Launch phase: Sending satellite into space

NISAR was launched on July 30, 2025 using ISRO’s GSLV-F16 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

2. Deployment Phase: Satellite Preparation

The NISAR has a 12 -meter -wide radar antenna on a boom located 9 meters from the satellite. Designed by NASA’s jet propulsion lab (JPL), this boom opens in several stages in space, just as a large umbrella opens. In this stage, the satellite antenna will be fully prepared to start its operation.

3. Commissioning Phase: System Testing

The first 90 days after the launch will be focused on commissioning or in-orbit checkout (IOC). During this period, all satellite systems will be tested to ensure that they are working properly. Initially, the main components will be examined, followed by JPL’s engineering payloads and equipment tested.

4. Science Operations Phase: Real work begins

After commissioning, the science operations will begin and run till the conclusion of the mission. During this phase, NISAR will begin monitoring the Earth. Small adjustments will be made from time to time to maintain the correct orbit of the satellite and ensure uninterrupted data collection.

In simple words, this is the time when Nisar will start its real work, including taking pictures of the earth and monitoring changes in snow, forests, seas and land.

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1460900cookie-checkISRO And NASA Have Launched Their Most Expensive And Powerful Satellite ‘Nisar’. It Can Complete A Circumambulation Of The Earth In 97 Minutes By Crossing The Dense Forests And Darkness