NISAR's Success: A Milestone for ISRO and a Roadmap for Future Challenges
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Science and Technology (Space Technology, Satellites, Launch Vehicles - GSLV, Remote Sensing - SAR), Environment (Sendai Framework, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC), International Relations (India-US space cooperation).
Mains:
GS Paper 3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Achievements of Indians in science & technology; Indigenization of technology and developing new technology; Awareness in the fields of Space; Disaster and disaster management.
GS Paper 2: Bilateral agreements involving India.
Key Highlights from the News
On July 30, 2025, the NISAR satellite, jointly built by NASA and ISRO, was successfully launched using the GSLV Mk-II rocket.
Placed in a sun synchronous orbit, this satellite is the result of a decade of bilateral cooperation.
This is the world's first Earth observation satellite to use a dual-band radar system with two different frequencies – NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band – together.
Data from NISAR can support the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction and IPCC models.
This launch confirmed the reliability of GSLV, previously called the "naughty boy."
While technology transfer was facilitated through this cooperation, the import of key components and NASA's leadership in design reviews indicate that India still has a long way to go in this field.
Handling the large amount of data received from NISAR and developing ground networks for it are the main challenges for India.
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