India’s calculated investment in what is described as the world’s most advanced Earth-mapping satellite is about far more than just the cost on paper.
Barely after the nation caught its breath from Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is back in action, this time partnering with the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) to launch the Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (Nisar) mission into orbit.
Touted as a powerhouse for Earth observation, the game-changing satellite is designed to capture the quietest shifts happening both above and below the planet’s surface.
The mission will take off aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
Nisar is a $1.5 billion (₹12,500 crore) collaboration between Nasa and Isro, with India contributing ₹788 crore (around $96 million). Though just a fraction of the total cost, the investment is regarded as a strategic bet with potentially huge returns for India.
Nisar is planned to orbit Earth every 97 minutes which would aim to map almost the entire land and ice-covered areas of the planet within the first 12 days. Its data will be open-source and freely available to researchers worldwide not making it an exclusive content for any particular Nation, making it an invaluable resource for scientists, climate specialists and disaster response agencies alike.
One of the standout features of the mission is its world-first dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar, combining Nasa’s L-band radar with Isro’s S-band radar. This unique pairing enables Nisar to peer through cloud cover, dense forests, smoke and even darkness, detecting subtle shifts on Earth’s surface as small as a few millimetres.
Such capabilities will allow Nisar Satellite to track all minute glacier movements, monitor fault lines for potential earthquakes and measure land sinking in cities due to groundwater depletion. These insights are expected to offer a transformative edge in understanding and managing environmental changes.
Isro’s stake in Nisar is not simply about funding a satellite; it marks a strategic leap in India’s technological capacity. This investment guarantees India free and real-time access to world-class Earth observation data, cements its technological role through the indigenous development of the S-band radar and homegrown launch systems, and provides advanced support for managing disasters such as floods, earthquakes and landslides.
The satellite’s outputs are set to directly advance India’s climate and sustainability goals by aiding glacier monitoring, agricultural planning and water management efforts, while also strengthening India’s standing in global scientific circles.
For Indian scientists, farmers, climate experts and disaster managers, the collaboration means daily access to crucial data without shouldering the entire cost of building such an advanced mission independently.
From predicting floods in Assam to tracking the pace of melting glaciers in the Himalayas, Nisar is poised to play a pivotal role in India’s environmental resilience and space ambitions.
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