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NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Satellite launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Satellite launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

Posted 31 Jul 2025

2 min read

This is the first dual frequency Radar Imaging mission marking a major milestone in Indo-US space collaboration. 

About NISAR

  • Earth Observation Satellite (EOS):  Images global land and ice-covered surfaces including islands and selected oceans every 12 days (orbits Earth every 97 minutes).
  • Weight: 2,392 kg.
  • Launch Vehicle: ISRO’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-F16
  • Placing Orbit: Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.
    • It is the first time a GSLV rocket is used to place a satellite into Sun-Synchronous orbit. 
      • GSLV is typically used for placement in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit/GTO (35 786 km). 
  • Key Features
    • Built around ISRO’s I-3K spacecraft bus.
    • Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): Dual band SAR operating on both L (by NASA) and S (By ISRO) bands. 
      • SAR sends out a pulse of energy and then records the energy reflected back after its interaction with Earth creating high resolution images through radar motion.
      • Processes radar signals received from different positions along the path, creating a larger "synthetic" aperture. 
  • SweepSAR technique: For high-resolution, wide-swath images across broad range of terrain.
  • Expected Mission Life: At least 5 years. 
  • Open-Data Policy: Information collected will be freely available to global scientific community benefiting developing countries. 

About Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) and Polar Orbit

  • SSO: Kind of polar orbit where satellites are in sync with Sun, matching earth’s rotation around sun and appearing to be in the same position relative to sun. 
  • Polar Orbit: Type of Low Earth Orbit (altitudes under 2000 km) typically between 200 to 1000 km where satellites usually travel around Earth from one pole to another. 
  • Tags :
  • Polar Orbit
  • NISAR
  • SSO
  • SAR
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