India-US space collaboration: ISRO successfully launches NISAR

A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket blasted off from the spaceport to place the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) earth observation satellite, a landmark moment reached in the history of space aviation of India.

The launch vehicle lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Sharing details, ISRO wrote on X: "GSLV-F16/NISAR Separation confirmed. Each stage, precise. Cryo ignition and Cryo stage performance flawless. GSLV-F16 delivered NISAR to orbit."

Key points about NISAR

NISAR is an equal collaboration between NASA and ISRO and marks the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. 

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. 

NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. 

U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru, which leads the ISRO component of the mission, is providing the spacecraft bus, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations. 

ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad is providing the S-band SAR electronics.

U.S. Mission to India’s Charge D’Affaires Jorgan K. Andrews said, “During their February meeting in Washington, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi underscored space cooperation as a priority for the bilateral relationship."

Andrews said: "NISAR, an unprecedented joint satellite mission between NASA and ISRO, marks a new chapter in the growing collaboration between our two space agencies.  As NISAR begins its journey to unlock new insights about the planet, it is a testament to this collaboration.”

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh earlier said that "NISAR" will upscale ISRO's international collaborations.

“This mission is not just about a satellite launch—it is a moment that symbolises what two democracies committed to science and global welfare can achieve together. NISAR will not only serve India and the United States but will also provide critical data for countries around the world, especially in areas like disaster management, agriculture, and climate monitoring,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh.