India successfully launches NASA-ISRO NISAR earth observation satellite
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched on Wednesday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-F16 rocket. This marks the first time a GSLV has placed a satellite in a sun-synchronous polar orbit. NISAR is the first satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA, with a mission life of five years. It will observe Earth with a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) using NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band, providing all-weather, day-and-night data for various applications like disaster response and resource mapping.
Key Points
- The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched by the GSLV-F16 rocket from Sriharikota.
- NISAR is a joint venture between ISRO and NASA, marking the first time a GSLV has placed a satellite in a sun-synchronous polar orbit.
- The satellite uses a dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (L-band from NASA, S-band from ISRO) to provide all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation data.
- Key applications include disaster response, shoreline monitoring, storm characterisation, and mapping surface water resources.
Exam Facts
- Satellite name: NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
- Launch vehicle: GSLV-F16.
- Radar bands: NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band.
- Mission life: Five years.
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