Nisar Commissioning Complete, Nasa and Isro to Declare It Operational on Nov 7

Joint Mission Reaches Key Milestone

The Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (Nisar) satellite has completed its commissioning phase, clearing the way for it to be declared operational next week. Officials from both space agencies confirmed the development on Wednesday.

The satellite is scheduled to be formally declared operational on November 7. This means the spacecraft and its instruments have passed all post-launch tests and are ready for routine science operations.

What Nisar Will Do

Nisar is designed to observe Earth's land and ice-covered surfaces with unprecedented detail. It carries two radar systems — an L-band radar from Nasa and an S-band radar from Isro — allowing it to see through clouds and collect data day and night.

The satellite will map changes in forests, wetlands, glaciers, and agricultural lands. Scientists expect it to provide critical insights into climate change, natural hazards, and resource management.

The mission is expected to generate data for at least three years, helping researchers track subtle shifts in the planet's surface.

Technical Specs and Launch

Nisar was launched in early 2025 from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre aboard a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The satellite weighs about 2,800 kilograms and orbits Earth at an altitude of roughly 747 kilometres.

Its radar antennas are among the largest ever deployed in space. The L-band antenna is 12 metres in diameter, while the S-band antenna is slightly smaller. Together, they create a powerful instrument for radar imaging.

Collaboration and Significance

The Nisar project is a rare collaboration between Nasa and Isro. Each agency contributed key components — Nasa provided the L-band radar and the high-rate communication subsystem, while Isro built the spacecraft bus and the S-band radar.

Data from Nisar will be made publicly available, allowing scientists around the world to study changes in the Earth's surface. This open-data policy is expected to boost research in fields ranging from geology to forestry.

The operational declaration on November 7 will mark the formal start of Nisar's science mission. Scientists are already planning the first observations, focusing on regions like the Himalayas and the Amazon basin.

For India, Nisar also strengthens its space programme's reputation for reliable Earth observation satellites. For Nasa, it fills a gap in global radar imaging coverage left by older missions.

The coming months will see Nisar's data flow into research institutions. The first images are expected to be released shortly after the satellite becomes operational.