NASA–ISRO partnership announced
AchievedNASA announced its collaboration with ISRO on a two-frequency radar satellite: NASA's L-band radar and ISRO's S-band radar on one spacecraft.
Why it matters: The largest US–India space partnership to date.
Science mission
NISAR – NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission
✓ Concept✓ Design✓ Build✓ Test✓ CertificationIn service · Now
- Country and region
- India and United States · South Asia
- Lead organisations
- ISRO; NASA/JPL
- Last milestone
- ISRO opened public S-band SAR data products on the Bhoonidhi portal (from Cycle 25, 8 Jul 2026); NASA L-band data already public (26 Jul 2026)
- Next milestone
- not announced (not announced)
Why it matters
Free all-weather radar data every 12 days feeds farming, disaster and infrastructure-monitoring services across South Asia.
NISAR is an Earth-observation radar satellite built jointly by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is the first satellite to carry radars on two frequencies: NASA's L-band radar (24–25 cm wavelength, able to see through vegetation and, in some conditions, snow and ice) and ISRO's S-band radar. Both share a 12 m mesh reflector on a 9 m boom. From a 747 km sun-synchronous orbit it maps almost all of Earth's land and ice twice every 12 days, day and night and through cloud. The data track ground movement from earthquakes and volcanoes, ice sheets, forests, farming and soil moisture.
Key dates: NASA announced the collaboration on 30 September 2014. In October 2015 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) chose Astro Aerospace, a Northrop Grumman company, to build the reflector. Each side built its own radar over eight to ten years. JPL then delivered the combined radar structure to ISRO's U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, where it was joined to ISRO's I-3K spacecraft bus.
Setbacks: launch was once planned for 30 March 2024. Tests showed the stowed reflector could get hotter than expected, risking a failed deployment. The reflector went back to California in March 2024 for reflective tape and other fixes. Lighting conditions then ruled out a launch between October 2024 and February 2025.
Launch and status: NISAR launched on 30 July 2025 on GSLV-F16 from Sriharikota, with a mass of about 2,380–2,400 kg. The boom began unfolding on 9 August and the reflector opened on 15 August 2025. The first S-band image (Godavari delta) followed on 19 August. ISRO started science operations on the satellite's 100th day in orbit (early November 2025). NASA's share is about US$1.16 billion and ISRO's about 7.88 billion rupees. L-band data release went in steps: 25 sample products (23 January 2026), more than 100,000 early "beta" products (27 February 2026), then calibrated global "provisional" products from 20 July 2026 for data from 17 June 2026. Fully validated L-band products (levels 0–2) followed on 6 November 2026, for data collected from 21 October 2026. All are free through NASA's Alaska Satellite Facility archive. On 24 July 2026 ISRO began releasing daily processed S-band products through its Bhoonidhi portal, with all data from 8 July 2026 produced operationally. Data from 27 July to 10 August 2026 were never recorded, and that gap is permanent.
Next: data collected before 21 October 2026 are to be reprocessed into validated products during 2027. A validated soil-moisture product will follow once enough validated data have built up, also in 2027. ISRO is reprocessing its earlier S-band data in phases. The prime mission is three years, with fuel for five.
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Milestone path
30 September 2014
30 October 2015
Reflector builder chosen
AchievedJPL chose Astro Aerospace, a Northrop Grumman company, to design and build the 12 m radar antenna reflector.
Why it matters: The largest radar reflector NASA has sent to space.
March 2024 (month only)
Reflector returned for heat fix
AchievedTests showed the stowed reflector could get too hot, so it went back to California for reflective tape and other fixes; launch slipped from 30 March 2024.
Why it matters: A late fix that avoided a failed deployment in orbit.
30 July 2025
Launch on GSLV-F16
LatestNISAR, about 2,380–2,400 kg, launched on GSLV-F16 from Sriharikota into a 747 km sun-synchronous orbit.
Why it matters: India's launcher carried a joint mission with NASA for the first time.
Milestone path
15 August 2025
12 m reflector opens in orbit
AchievedThe boom began unfolding on 9 August and the reflector opened on 15 August; the first S-band image followed on 19 August.
Why it matters: Deployment was the mission's highest-risk event after launch.
November 2025 (100th day in orbit)
Science operations begin
AchievedISRO started science operations on the satellite's 100th day in orbit.
Why it matters: The start of the regular 12-day mapping of land and ice.
23 January and 27 February 2026
First L-band sample and beta data
AchievedNASA released 25 sample L-band products, then more than 100,000 early "beta" products.
Why it matters: Let users and software firms start building tools before full release.
20 July 2026
Calibrated global L-band data free
LatestCalibrated "provisional" L-band products for data from 17 June 2026 became freely available through NASA's Alaska Satellite Facility; data from 27 July to 10 August 2026 were never recorded, a permanent gap.
Why it matters: Free global radar data opens uses in farming, insurance, infrastructure and disaster response.
Milestone path
24 July 2026
ISRO releases daily S-band products
AchievedISRO began releasing daily processed S-band products through its Bhoonidhi portal, with all data from 8 July 2026 produced operationally.
Why it matters: Gives Indian users a second radar band covering India and global science sites.
6 November 2026
First validated L-band products released
LatestFully validated L-band products (levels 0–2) were released for data collected from 21 October 2026.
Why it matters: Validated data are what most commercial and government users wait for.
2027 (year only)
Earlier data reprocessed to validated
PlannedData collected before 21 October 2026 are to be reprocessed into validated products, and a validated soil-moisture product added once enough data exist.
What to watch: Watch the reprocessing pace, which decides when a full validated record from 2025 is available.
About mid-2028 (three-year prime mission from July 2025)
Prime mission ends; extension possible
PlannedThe prime mission is three years, with fuel for five.
What to watch: Watch for an extension decision, which would keep the free data flowing.
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Systems and suppliers
Agencies and mission leads
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena (USA; run for NASA by Caltech)
- Leads the US side; built the L-band radar, integrated and tested the radar structure, and designed the boom.
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- Spacecraft, S-band radar, launcher, launch services and mission operations.
Radar payload and antenna
- ISRO Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad
- S-band radar and its data-processing algorithms.
- NASA JPL
- L-band radar; engineering payload (high-rate communication system, GPS receivers, solid-state recorder, power distribution unit, payload data system).
- Astro Aerospace, a Northrop Grumman company, Carpinteria (USA)
- Designed and built the 12 m radar antenna reflector (selected by JPL, 30 Oct 2015).
Spacecraft
- ISRO U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru
- Leads ISRO's part; provided the I-3K bus (power, thermal, onboard computer, attitude control with reaction wheels, 1 N and 11 N thrusters) and did the satellite's assembly, integration and testing.
Launcher and launch
- ISRO GSLV Mk II (GSLV-F16), Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota
- Launched 30 Jul 2025 with a 4 m fairing.
Ground segment and operations
- ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru
- Commands and monitors the spacecraft, with JPL support.
Partner list drawn from NASA, JPL, ISRO and company sources as of 9 Nov 2026. Validated L-band products cover data from 21 Oct 2026; earlier data are to be reprocessed to validated standard in 2027.
Systems and suppliers
Ground segment and operations
- NASA Near Space Network (managed by Goddard Space Flight Center)
- Receives L-band data at four Ka-band stations: Svalbard, Punta Arenas, Fairbanks and Wallops Island (4.0 Gbps).
- Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) (Norway)· not listed in the Directory
- Selected by NASA to provide ground station services for NISAR from Punta Arenas, Chile, adding new Ka-band antennas there and at Svalbard.
- ISRO ground stations at Shadnagar (India) and Antarctica
- Receive S-band data and part of the L-band data (2.88 Gbps).
Data processing and distribution
- JPL Science Data System
- Processes L-band data in the cloud.
- Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center (ASF DAAC)
- (NASA archive centre). Free public archive for NISAR L-band products; validated products from 6 Nov 2026.
- ISRO National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad
- Processes S-band data and distributes them through the Bhoonidhi portal (daily processed products since 24 Jul 2026).
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Competitors
| Compared item | Radar band | Orbit | Coverage / swath | Mass | Launch | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NISAR (reference) | L-band + S-band | 747 km sun-synchronous | ~240 km swath; land and ice every 12 days | ~2,380–2,400 kg | 30 Jul 2025, GSLV-F16 | NASA / ISRO |
| ALOS-4 (Japan) | L-band (PALSAR-3) | 628 km | 200 km swath; 14-day revisit | ~3,000 kg | 1 Jul 2024, H3 flight 3 | JAXA |
| SAOCOM 1B (Argentina) | L-band | ~620 km sun-synchronous | 10–100 m resolution | Not stated in source | 30 Aug 2020, Falcon 9 (1A in Oct 2018) | CONAE |
- www.isro.gov.in
- www.isro.gov.in
- www.jpl.nasa.gov
- www.jpl.nasa.gov
- science.nasa.gov
- investor.northropgrumman.com
- www.ksat.no
- www.earthdata.nasa.gov
- www.earthdata.nasa.gov
- nisar-docs.asf.alaska.edu
- www.jpl.nasa.gov
- www.isro.gov.in
- telanganatoday.com
- mdwiki.org
- download.osmand.net
- www.eorc.jaxa.jp
- un-spider.org
- www.satellitetoday.com
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