31 July 2025: The Hindu Editorial

1. ISRO-NASA NISAR Satellite Launch: A New Era for Earth Observation

Source – Page 1 & 12, The Hindu

• Mission Overview:

  • NISAR is a 2,392 kg, dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite developed jointly by ISRO (S-band) and NASA (L-band).

  • Placed in sun-synchronous orbit with a 5-year planned life.

• Significance:

  • Provides all-weather, high-resolution imaging of Earth every 12 days.

  • Will monitor surface deformation, ice sheet movement, vegetation, crop output, and changes caused by natural disasters.

  • First use of SweepSAR technology; can detect small surface changes: landslides, flooding, earthquakes.

• Applications:

  • Early warning and rapid response to disasters—floods, earthquakes, landslides.

  • Enhances India’s capability for managing agriculture, water, and forest resources.

  • Climate research: assists in tracking greenhouse gas emissions, soil moisture, and melting glaciers.

• Strategic Impact:

  • Symbolizes high-technology collaboration between India and USA.

  • Strengthens India’s global leadership in space-based disaster management.

• Challenges:

  • Data utilization at state/local levels; capacity building for agencies to use satellite data.

  • Integrating satellite inputs with existing policy and ground-based observation.

Way Forward/Conclusion:

NISAR should be used to mainstream satellite data into governmental planning at all levels for climate resilience and risk reduction. India must invest in training, data dissemination, and inter-agency coordination.

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