🚀 Successful Launch of NISAR Satellite — A Historic NASA-ISRO Collaboration!

On Wednesday, India marked a significant milestone in space technology with the successful launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) at 5:40 p.m., using the GSLV-F16 rocket. Just 18 minutes later, the satellite was precisely placed into its designated sun-synchronous orbit.

🔭 About NISAR

NISAR is the first satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA and has a mission life of five years. Weighing 2,392 kg, it is equipped with dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) — NASA's L-band and ISRO’s S-band, and uses a 12-metre unfurlable mesh reflector antenna developed by NASA.

🛰️ Why NISAR is Special

It uses advanced SweepSAR technology to provide day-and-night, all-weather Earth observation data every 12 days.

It will observe Earth over a 242 km swathe with high resolution.

It can detect minute changes on the Earth's surface, including:

Ground deformation

Ice sheet shifts

Vegetation changes

Soil moisture levels

Shoreline movements

Sea ice monitoring

Natural disasters like floods, landslides & earthquakes

Agricultural mapping to improve crop productivity

💬 Statements by Leaders

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed the accurate placement of the satellite in orbit.

NASA’s Casey Swails emphasized that NISAR will help governments monitor infrastructure, respond to disasters, and enhance food security.

🧪 Mission Phases

1. Launch Phase – Successfully completed

2. Deployment Phase – A 12-metre antenna will be deployed in orbit, 10 days post-launch

3. Commissioning Phase – Satellite systems will be tested and calibrated

4. Science Operations Phase – Begins after commissioning and continues for 5 years

📚 This mission is a landmark in international space collaboration and holds great significance for students preparing for UPSC, RAS, and other competitive exams.

— Gyandhara RAS Academy

#CurrentAffairs #NASA #ISRO #NISAR #SpaceTech #EarthObservation #GSLVF16 #UPSC #RAS #GyandharaRASAcademy