Editorial: ISRO — symbol of soft power, hard science

NISAR, a joint initiative of ISRO and NASA to launch the first Earth-observing satellite mission, demonstrates the country’s prowess in the space exploration sector

If there is any one scientific area where India has consistently excelled, it is space exploration. Be it harnessing satellite technologies for societal good or exploring new frontiers in the solar system, Indian scientists have been second to none. As a result of a series of stellar achievements, India has earned a place at the high table of elite space-faring nations. The latest joint initiative with the United States to launch the first Earth-observing satellite mission demonstrates the country’s prowess in the space exploration sector. The collaborative mission — NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (Nisar) — is the most expensive bilateral initiative that is a perfect symbol of soft power and hard science, and represents a major milestone in international space cooperation. The launch is scheduled for July 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. It marks the first Earth-observing satellite mission between India and the US. Developed for USD1.5 billion, Nisar boasts cutting-edge radar capabilities that will provide a detailed, three-dimensional mapping of the Earth’s land and ice surfaces with unprecedented precision. The satellite’s dual-frequency radar — the world’s first in orbit — combines NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band synthetic aperture radar technologies. Orbiting the globe every 12 days, it captures the information that is vital for scientists, disaster response teams, and policymakers worldwide. Nisar’s capability to penetrate vegetation and clouds, and to operate day and night, ensures comprehensive, reliable data regardless of weather conditions.

Nisar’s development involved major engineering feats, including assembling the 12-metre deployable mesh antenna and integrating complex radar systems. Nisar’s data will be freely available to researchers and emergency managers, with the promise of near-real-time delivery during crises such as floods or earthquakes. The satellite can detect minor changes in ecosystem and biomass distribution, surface deformation due to earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes, the retreat and advance of glaciers and ice sheets, soil moisture and groundwater variations and changes in sea levels and urban landscapes. It also monitors forests, wetlands, farmlands, and deforestation to support sustainable resource management. The mission will not only map the planet with unmatched detail but also symbolise the power of international cooperation in advancing science and humanity. This mission is another feather in the ISRO’s cap. From using a creaking, old bullock-cart to transport a new satellite to the launch station to emerge as a leading space-faring nation in the world, India’s space research organisation has come a long way. Its arduous journey has come to symbolise the triumph of self-reliance over technology denials. The recent Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), a collaboration among NASA, ISRO, European Space Agency (ESA) and SpaceX, marked a giant leap for the country’s ambitious space exploration goals. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to set foot on the ISS, has done the country proud by piloting this mission.

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