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**Summary:**

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, launched on July 30, 2025, is entering its 90-day commissioning phase. This collaborative effort involves rigorous testing and calibration to prepare the satellite for full-scale earth observation. Key aspects include raising the satellite’s altitude, activating its dual-band radar, and collecting an unprecedented amount of data. The mission represents a significant milestone in US-India space collaboration, fostering scientific advancements and intercultural understanding. NASA has learned from ISRO’s focus on helping society, while ISRO has gained from NASA’s scientific research. The dual-band radar system, a first of its kind, allows for simultaneous earth observation at different frequencies, providing richer data for scientific analysis, particularly in areas like agriculture and natural hazard monitoring. The partnership extends to other areas, including human spaceflight and commercial space ventures.

**News Article:**

**NASA-ISRO’s Landmark Earth Observation Mission Begins Critical Commissioning Phase**

**Chennai, August 1, 2025** – The groundbreaking NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, launched on July 30th from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, has commenced its crucial 90-day commissioning phase. This marks a significant milestone in the collaborative space venture between the United States and India.

During this period, scientists from both space agencies will conduct extensive tests, calibrations, and orbital adjustments to prepare NISAR for its primary mission: comprehensive Earth observation. The satellite, carried aboard a GSLV-F16 rocket, is currently at an altitude of 737 km and will be raised to 747 km over the next 45-50 days.

“After the commissioning is complete, the radars will be activated, and it will start collecting data over all ice, all land, all the time from the Earth. The resolution will be 5 metres by 5 metres and we will be imaging that every 12 days,” explained Gerald W. Bawden, Program Manager for Natural Hazards Research at NASA’s Earth Sciences Division. “It is more data that NASA has collected in any other mission.”

What makes NISAR particularly unique is its dual-band radar system, a first-of-its-kind technology. According to Sanghamitra B. Dutta, NASA Earth Sciences Division Program Executive, scientists from ISRO and NASA had the idea to fly two Radars at once, using two different frequencies to collect more data in different technical ways. Bawden added that this allows for simultaneous observation of the Earth at different frequencies, providing unprecedented data for a range of applications, including agricultural monitoring and natural hazard assessment.

Beyond the technological achievements, the NISAR mission also represents a significant step in international collaboration. It has brought together scientists from both countries, fostering cultural understanding and collaborative problem-solving. ISRO has also gained from NASA’s deep focus on scientific research.

“This NISAR partnership is more than building an amazing satellite, it is teams that are together to solve bigger problems,” Bawden noted.

Dutta emphasized the broader implications of the partnership. “This is the first large earth observing mission that India and the United States have put together… We are enormously proud to work with each other and it will come in future in the commercial area, space collaboration and technology development, science area,” she said.

The NISAR mission is poised to revolutionize our understanding of Earth’s dynamic systems, providing invaluable data for climate change research, natural disaster management, and agricultural sustainability. The collaboration between NASA and ISRO underscores the power of international partnerships in addressing global challenges.

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