ESA Scout HydroGNSS: A Satellite Mission using GNSS Reflections to Monitor Hydrological Climate Variables

HydroGNSS is a small satellite mission under the ESA Scout Programme tapping into NewSpace, as part of ESA’s FutureEO Programme, within a budget of €30M and a schedule of three years from mission kick-off to launch. The mission comprises two satellites using an innovative GNSS-Reflectometry instrument to collect parameters related to the Essential Climate Variables (ECVs): soil moisture, inundation, freeze/thaw, biomass, ocean wind speed and sea ice extent. GNSS-Reflectometry is a type of bistatic radar that uses multiple broadcast signals of opportunity from GNSS satellites, empowering small satellites to provide measurement quality associated with radar satellites [1].