“NISAR is not just a satellite; it is India’s scientific handshake with the world,” says Jitendra Singh

(Forelines) – On Wednesday, ISRO and NASA scientists were congratulated on the successful launch of the NISAR satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences.

Despite being in New Delhi for Parliamentary obligations, Dr. Jitendra Singh watched the historic launch live online among scientists and high-ranking officials at the CSIR Auditorium.

Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the satellite’s perfect lift-off onboard the GSLV-F16 rocket.

Dr. Jitendra Singh described NISAR as a “global benchmark” in Indo-US scientific collaboration, saying the mission represents the strength of collaboration between the two biggest democracies in the world.

“NISAR is not just a satellite; it is India’s scientific handshake with the world,” Dr. Jitendra Singh stated in a statement.

First time, a satellite was successfully launched into a Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit using ISRO’s GSLV vehicle aboard GSLV-F16. India’s increasing technological sophistication in space systems is demonstrated by this 18th GSLV mission, which is also the 12th to use the country’s own cryogenic stage.

The first Earth observation satellite in history to carry dual-frequency synthetic aperture radars on a single platform—NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band—is the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), which was built in collaboration between the two agencies. Every twelve days, it will return to each site to provide high-resolution, day-and-night, all-weather imagery of the Earth’s land and ice surfaces.

Dr. Jitendra Singh stressed that although NISAR’s uses in agriculture, glacier tracking, climate monitoring, and disaster management are widely known, the satellite’s influence will go far beyond these fields.

“NISAR marks a striking shift in how we approach critical sectors such as aviation safety, maritime navigation, coastal management, and urban infrastructure planning,” Dr. Jitendra Singh said in a statement

“The data from NISAR will serve as a backbone for smarter, science-driven decisions in shipping routes, air traffic systems, and even national infrastructure planning,” he added.

Launched 747 kilometers away, the 2,393-kg satellite entered a Sun-synchronous orbit. Throughout its five-year mission, NISAR will provide vital information for resource management, mapping forests, seismic and volcano monitoring, and global climate science.

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that the open-access policy for NISAR’s data will empower researchers and scientists as well as developing nations, disaster response organizations, and stakeholders in climate change globally.

The tight cooperation between NASA and ISRO is demonstrated by the NISAR satellite, which is based on ISRO’s I-3K spacecraft bus.

The L-band radar, 12-meter deployable antenna, GPS receiver, solid-state recorder, and high-rate telecommunications equipment were all provided by NASA.

The GSLV-F16 launch vehicle, the spacecraft bus, the S-band radar, and related systems and services were all provided by ISRO.

Both agencies share funding for the mission, which is expected to cost more than $1.5 billion.

Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded by stating that, under the inspirational leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s space program is shifting from utility-based missions to knowledge-based programs.

“From Chandrayaan to NISAR, we are not only launching satellites—we are launching new possibilities for global science, sustainability, and shared progress,” Dr. Jitendra Singh said.