19.05.2025
ISRO-NASA NISAR mission to be launched in June
NISAR is a joint partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and ISRO. The mission will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise and groundwater.
For the mission, NASA will provide engineering payloads for the mission, including a payload data subsystem, high-rate science downlink system, GPS receivers and a solid state recorder.
“ISRO offers the NISAR Utilisation Programme (NISAR UP), an opportunity for Indian researchers and scientists to access, analyse and interpret the data from the NISAR satellite mission,” ISRO said.
The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can provide important information to improve situational awareness and crisis response capabilities related to a range of issues, including maritime security, infrastructure health, natural disaster resilience and transportation. NISAR will offer vital data to observe and study Earth’s intricate processes. It aims to study ecosystems, cryosphere, solid earth science and coastal ocean processes to address global environmental changes and natural hazards. It supports disaster response by providing rapid access to relevant data.
The satellite was originally scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2024. However, the satellite that had been assembled largely in the US, arrived in Bengaluru in 2023 for final testing before being launched. It was found that antennae required improvements and the entire satellite was shipped back to the US. While no date has been confirmed, officials say the launch is in June.
Quelle: The Tribune
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Update: 2.06.2025
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ISRO is stacking GSLV rocket for NISAR launch
ISRO is prepping for the NISAR launch by stacking the GSLV rocket. The NISAR mission is a collab between NASA and ISRO, and will evaluate the health of the planet with global coverage every 12 days.
NISAR-Satellite
New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has noted in its monthly report that it has started stacking the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) from 07 April, 2025, at its Satish Dhawan spaceport on the barrier island of Sriharikota. The launch is scheduled for the second half of June, with the earliest launch opportunity on 18 June. The second stage of the rocket was flagged off from the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri on 24 April, for transport to Sriharikota. The GSLV rocket uses a solid fuel first stage with four strap on boosters, a second stage that uses liquid fuel, and an indigenously developed cryogenic upper stage.
The payload, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite is the first collaboration of its kind between ISRO’s Space Applications Centre and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. India and USA are each contributing one Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload for the satellite, which will be launched by the GSLV rocket. The satellite is packed away in a stowed configuration for the ride to space, and has to execute a complex series of deployments in orbit to reach its operational configuration. This includes the solar panels, a nine metre long boom, and a 12 metre wide radar antenna reflector.
A mission for a healthy planet
The NISAR mission has been in the works for over ten years. The SAR payloads on board will be able to peer through the clouds, with the capabilities of imaging the planet every 12 days. The high-profile mission is important for the planet as the instrument is capable of tracking the extent and movements of glaciers and ice caps, groundwater levels, and health of forests. The data will be crucial for ensuring industries and countries are complying to environmental norms, and guiding policy decisions. The NISAR mission has been repeatedly delayed for various reasons, but is now finally on the verge of deployment.
Quelle: news n9ne