The NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, launched on July 30, 2025, aboard ISRO's GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, is a significant joint Earth observation endeavour aimed at providing unprecedented high-resolution, all-weather, day-and-night imaging to monitor global climate and disaster dynamics.

The satellite carries advanced dual-band L- and S-band radars enabling it to map subtle surface changes on land and ice with precision down to the centimetre level. This capability allows scientists to track land deformation, ice dynamics, ecosystems, ocean regions, as well as natural hazards like earthquakes, floods, and landslides, thereby aiding disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and climate change research globally.

A critical technical component powering this mission is the Simplex Permanent Magnet Stepper Motor developed by SonaSPEED, the R&D division of Sona College of Technology based in Salem and Bangalore.

These stepper motors, manufactured in SonaSPEED’s Bangalore factory, have been mission-critical in controlling the actuator assembly of the GSLV-F16's cryogenic engine final stage by precisely regulating the mixture ratio of liquid hydrogen and oxygen used as propellants.

Accurate control of this fuel mixture during the rocket’s ascent is essential to stable engine combustion and trajectory adherence, directly impacting the successful deployment of the NISAR payload.

SonaSPEED has been a trusted ISRO technology partner for nearly two decades, supplying space-grade electrical machines such as Permanent Magnet Stepper Motors, BLDC motors, and reaction wheels used in various high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) autonomous landing test. Specifically, the same Simplex Permanent Magnet Stepper Motors were used in the Chandrayaan-3 lunar south pole landing mission's LVM3 actuator assembly in August 2023, highlighting their critical role in India’s space exploration achievements.

The NISAR mission's success not only marks a technological milestone but also underscores international collaboration between NASA and ISRO, blending Indian propulsion technology and American radar expertise to create a satellite capable of delivering comprehensive earth observation data freely to the global scientific community.

The satellite’s instrumentation includes NASA’s contribution of the L-band radar system, high-speed downlink, and a large 12-meter deployable reflector antenna, which collectively enable the detailed three-dimensional imaging of Earth’s dynamic surfaces.

Operational once in orbit, the satellite will orbit Earth roughly every 12 days, providing high-resolution data crucial for climate science, environmental monitoring, and disaster resilience planning worldwide.

Sona College of Technology, under which the SonaSPEED labs operate, is an autonomous institution affiliated with Anna University, awarded the highest NAAC accreditation grade of A++ with a CGPA of 3.65, reflecting its strong research credentials. Its specialized R&D centres like SonaSPEED focus on mechatronic manufacturing innovations vital for aerospace and outer space applications, reinforcing India’s growing ecosystem of indigenous space technology development.

Thus, the SonaSPEED motors powering the NISAR mission are pivotal components enabling the precise control required during rocket launch, reflecting a blend of academic research, advanced manufacturing, and space mission criticality, which together contribute to this landmark NASA-ISRO collaboration aimed at advancing Earth science and climate monitoring at an unprecedented scale.

Based On Hans India Report