Published: 25 March 2026ISRO Official / NASAScience & Technology
NISAR Satellite: First Post-Launch User Meet Scheduled at SAC Ahmedabad on March 27
The first Post-Launch User Meet on the NISAR Science and Utilization Programme is scheduled for March 27, 2026, at the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad. The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite, a joint mission of NASA and ISRO, was launched aboard an ISRO GSLV rocket on July 30, 2025, and was declared fully operational in January 2026.
The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has utilized the first series of NISAR data created in February 2026 to produce soil moisture maps covering central India and the Indo-Gangetic plains at a remarkable 100 x 100 meter resolution.
NISAR uses advanced radar imaging to map the elevation of Earth's land and ice masses four to six times a month at resolutions of 5 to 10 meters. The satellite is designed to observe and measure complex natural processes including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides.
NASA provides the L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a high-rate telecommunication subsystem, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and a payload data subsystem. ISRO provides the satellite bus, an S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services. This collaboration represents one of the most significant India-US space partnerships.
0Mains angle
Q: Discuss the scientific and strategic significance of the NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite, with reference to the first Post-Launch User Meet scheduled at SAC Ahmedabad on March 27, 2026.
Answer (50 words):
Launched aboard a GSLV on July 30, 2025 and declared fully operational in January 2026, NISAR maps Earth's land and ice four to six times monthly at five to ten metre resolution. The NRSC produced 100 x 100 metre soil-moisture maps of central India and Indo-Gangetic plains, deepening India-US cooperation.
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CoverageNationalSubjectScience & TechnologyExamBasic Computer Instructor · CET Graduation · CET Senior Secondary · EO/RO · LDC · Mahila Supervisor · Patwar · PTI · RAS · REET · RPSC SI · School Lecturer · Senior Computer Instructor · Senior Teacher · UPSC · Vanpal · BothSourceISRO Official / NASA
Practice MCQ from this story
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Linked questionEasy
The NISAR satellite, whose first Post-Launch User Meet was held at SAC Ahmedabad, is a joint mission between ISRO and which agency?
Explanation · Correct answer BNISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a joint mission of NASA and ISRO. NASA provides the L-band SAR and ISRO provides the satellite bus, S-band SAR, and launch vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NISAR satellite and when was it launched by NASA and ISRO?
**NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)** is a joint Earth observation satellite mission of **NASA and ISRO**. It was launched aboard an **ISRO GSLV rocket on July 30, 2025**, and was declared **fully operational in January 2026**. NISAR maps Earth's land and ice masses **4-6 times per month** at **5-10 meter resolution**.
What soil moisture maps has NRSC produced using NISAR satellite data in 2026?
The **National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)** used NISAR data from **February 2026** to produce **soil moisture maps** covering **central India and the Indo-Gangetic plains** at a remarkable **100 x 100 meter resolution**. These were the first maps produced from the initial NISAR data series after the satellite became operational.
What is the purpose and capability of the NISAR satellite for disaster monitoring?
NISAR uses **advanced synthetic aperture radar imaging** to observe and measure complex natural processes including:
- **Ecosystem disturbances** and ice-sheet collapse
- **Natural hazards** such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides
- **Elevation mapping** of Earth's land and ice masses at 5-10 meter resolution, 4-6 times per month
What technology does NASA contribute to the NISAR satellite mission and what does ISRO provide?
**NASA provides:** L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), high-rate telecommunication subsystem, GPS receivers, solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem.
**ISRO provides:** satellite bus, S-band SAR, GSLV launch vehicle, and associated launch services. This collaboration is one of the most significant **India-US space partnerships**.
Where was the first Post-Launch User Meet on the NISAR Science and Utilization Programme held in 2026?
The first **Post-Launch User Meet on the NISAR Science and Utilization Programme** was scheduled for **March 27, 2026** at the **Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad**. This meeting brought together scientists and users to discuss applications of NISAR data collected since the satellite became fully operational in January 2026.
