Srinagar, July 30 -- Just weeks after the buzz around Axiom-4, ISRO is back in the headlines-this time joining hands with NASA for the launch of NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), a mission designed to scan Earth's tiniest shifts with unmatched precision.

Launched today from Sriharikota aboard the GSLV Mk-II, NISAR is no ordinary satellite. It's a $1.5 billion (Rs.12,500 crore) mission, with India contributing just $96 million (Rs.788 crore). But here's the thing: it's not about the money. It's about what this partnership unlocks.

NISAR is the first Earth observation satellite to use a dual-frequency radar-NASA's L-band and ISRO's S-band-letting it see through clouds, vegetation, smoke, and even the dark. It can detect ground m...