NISAR

 NISAR : Recently, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket.

o The launch marks a major milestone in Indo-US space collaboration and global Earth observation efforts.

• About NISAR : First satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA.

o World’s first Earth observation satellite with dual-frequency SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar).

ü L-band radar (1.257 GHz) from NASA: Penetrates forests and soil layers to detect ground deformation and subsurface movement.

ü S-band radar (3.2 GHz) from ISRO: Optimised to detect surface-level changes like crop growth, biomass, and water levels.

o Enables all-weather, day-and-night imaging, even through clouds, smoke, or vegetation.

o Mission lifespan: 5 years.

o About Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) : A launch vehicle developed and operated by ISRO to place satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits (GTO).

ü GSLV is larger and more powerful than ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

ü GSLV-F16 is the 18th launch of India’s GSLV and  12th launch using India’s own cryogenic upper stage, which helps carry heavier satellites.

ü The rocket used a 4-metre wide, dome-shaped (ogive) nose cone to protect the NISAR satellite during launch.

ü This is the first time a GSLV rocket has placed a satellite (NISAR) into a Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit, instead of its usual Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.