NISAR Satellite Launch Marks New Era in Climate Monitoring

NISAR Satellite Launch Marks New Era in Climate Monitoring

NASA‑ISRO’s high‑resolution radar mission begins mapping Earth in unprecedented detail, empowering environmental forecasting and disaster response

On August 2, 2025, a historic moment in Earth observation unfolded high above our planet. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite — a landmark collaboration between the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) — successfully launched into orbit, marking the beginning of a new era in climate monitoring and disaster preparedness.

The NISAR satellite, weighing nearly 3,000 kilograms, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, aboard the GSLV Mk II rocket. Its mission is ambitious and transformative: to use cutting-edge radar imaging to monitor changes on Earth with unprecedented precision, capturing movements of the planet’s surface as small as a few centimeters.

The Power of Radar from Space

Unlike traditional optical satellites, which rely on sunlight to capture images, NISAR uses dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) — both L-band and S-band — enabling it to observe Earth in any weather, day or night. This capability is critical for monitoring areas often obscured by cloud cover, such as tropical rainforests and storm-affected regions.

The satellite will orbit Earth every 12 days, producing high-resolution maps that track shifts in land surfaces, ice sheets, forests, and even infrastructure. With these maps, scientists will be able to measure and predict critical environmental changes with a level of detail that was previously impossible.

“NISAR will be a game-changer,” said Dr. Anuradha Radhakrishnan, project scientist at ISRO. “From glaciers melting in the Himalayas to the sinking of coastal cities, we’ll be able to see the planet breathe and move.”

A Tool for Climate Action

NISAR’s primary scientific goal is to help humanity understand the dynamic systems of our planet — and to act accordingly. By tracking how Earth’s surface deforms over time, the satellite will allow scientists to better understand the impact of climate change, including:

Glacial retreat and sea-level rise: NISAR will map ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, allowing scientists to monitor ice loss and predict future sea-level rise with greater confidence.

Deforestation and ecosystem change: With high-resolution forest data, conservationists can track illegal logging, biodiversity loss, and the health of critical ecosystems such as the Amazon and Congo basins.

Earthquakes and natural hazards: NISAR will be able to detect ground shifts associated with earthquakes, volcanic activity, and landslides, supporting disaster preparedness and early warning systems.

Urban infrastructure movement: In cities, it can monitor subsidence and infrastructure stress, helping governments plan safer and more sustainable urban development.


NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the mission's potential: “NISAR will provide the most detailed global measurements of land surface changes ever made. This data is vital to tackling the biggest challenge of our time — climate change.”

Global Collaboration for a Global Challenge

NISAR is a flagship example of international scientific cooperation. While NASA provided the L-band radar system, ISRO developed the S-band radar, satellite bus, and launch services. The instruments were integrated in India, showcasing a seamless collaboration between two spacefaring nations.

The data collected by NISAR will be freely available to scientists, governments, and the public around the world. This open-access model ensures that communities from the most advanced research institutions to grassroots environmental organizations can benefit from the satellite’s insights.

Dr. Rani Patel, a climate policy analyst in Nairobi, Kenya, underscored the importance of this access: “For countries vulnerable to climate shocks — floods, droughts, coastal erosion — NISAR will provide the evidence we need to plan smarter, respond faster, and advocate for global action.”

Real-time Benefits and Long-term Vision

Already, NISAR’s early data is being processed to support regional disaster response planning in South Asia and East Africa. In flood-prone regions of Bangladesh and Assam, the satellite will help monitor river swelling and guide evacuation efforts. Meanwhile, scientists are using NISAR data to update geological models of fault lines across California, Indonesia, and the Middle East.

Looking forward, NISAR’s continuous data stream is expected to play a pivotal role in reaching several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate action (SDG 13), life on land (SDG 15), and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).

A Vision for the Planet

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the NISAR mission is not just the science — but what it represents. In a time when the planet is facing unprecedented environmental and social challenges, the mission symbolizes a proactive, cooperative approach to understanding and safeguarding Earth’s future.

“This isn’t just about data,” said Dr. Marcia Thompson, a NASA Earth Science mission director. “It’s about giving humanity the tools to see what’s changing, why it matters, and how we can make better choices for the generations to come.”

As the NISAR satellite begins its journey across the skies — quietly scanning the Earth’s pulse from 747 kilometers above — it carries with it the hopes of scientists, communities, and future generations. With each orbit, it reminds us that knowledge is power — and in the case of our planet, it may be the key to preservation.