"It is one of the most precise launches that has ever happened": ISRO Chairman on Mission NISAR

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 1 (ANI): Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr V Narayanan on Thursday termed the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite as one of the most precise ever, following its successful injection into orbit using an indigenously developed Indian launcher.
Addressing the media in Kerala, on Mission NISAR Satellite, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said, "NASA was very excited to understand that India could successfully launch using the indigenously developed GSLV marked vehicle...It is one of the most precise launches that has ever happened in the world...The entire country today can be proud that a highly useful satellite built jointly by NASA and ISRO is placed in orbit using the Indian launcher..."
On Wednesday, ISRO stated that the GSLV-F16 rocket had successfully and precisely injected the 2,393 kg NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite into its intended Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), marking a significant milestone in the agency's Earth observation capabilities.
The ISRO Chairman congratulated the ISRO and NASA on their success and said, "This is our 102nd launch from 18 missions of GSLV. The previous F-15 mission was the 100th successful mission from Sriharikota."
The Chairman said that this is the first GSLV Mission to the Sun-synchronous polar orbit.
"Being the first SSPO mission, several analyses and studies were carried out to make this mission a grand success, including cryogenic upper stage corrections. A host of mission simulations were carried out systematically and meticulously, and today's mission is successfully accomplished," the ISRO chairman stated.
After lift off, the satellite was inserted into orbit with a margin of less than 3 kilometres, far below the permissible error limit of 20 kilometres.
"All the vehicle system performance is quite normal as expected and predicted. Today we achieved the intended orbit. We have placed it in orbit less than 3 kilometres within the permissible level of 20 kilometres," the ISRO chief said.
NISAR is a joint Earth observation satellite developed by ISRO and the US space agency NASA. It is designed to deliver highly detailed data on Earth's surface.
The satellite will scan the entire globe once every 12 days, capturing high-resolution images that can detect changes smaller than a centimetre. It is expected to support applications such as monitoring sea-level rise, natural disasters, soil moisture, and ecosystem dynamics.
"NISAR will enable the scientific community to detect the surface variations, sea height detection, investigate natural hazards, monitor soil moisture and many other applications. The potential from the satellite are huge and the global scientific community is eagerly awaiting for the satellite data for their respective research and usage," ISRO Chief added.
The implementation agreement for the joint Earth observation mission was signed between ISRO and NASA on September 30, 2014, by then ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan and then NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, during a ceremony in Toronto. (ANI)