ESA’s HydroGNSS Scout satellites prepared for launch

The an identical microsatellites will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, sharing their Transporter-15 journey into orbit with a number of different small satellites.

Since their arrival, the HydroGNSS satellites have undergone a collection of ultimate checks – together with testing, propellant loading, battery charging and integration with their launch adapter.

Both satellites at the moment are prepared for the subsequent milestone: closing of the rocket fairing.

ESA’s HydroGNSS Project Manager, Jean-Pascal Lejault, mentioned, “Reaching this milestone is a tremendous achievement, and I am incredibly proud of the entire team behind HydroGNSS. Developing ESA’s first Scout mission within such a tight timeframe and budget has required exceptional dedication and ingenuity. My special thanks go to our prime contractor Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd in the UK and the ESA project team – their commitment and creativity have made HydroGNSS possible.”

Once in orbit, the 2 satellites will journey 180 levels aside round Earth to maximise protection. They will use an progressive method referred to as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry to fairly actually ‘scout for water’.

Navigation satellites akin to GPS and Galileo transmit L-band microwave alerts that change when mirrored off Earth’s floor. HydroGNSS will evaluate these mirrored alerts with the direct GNSS alerts to extract invaluable details about geophysical parameters associated to the water cycle.

The mission focuses on 4 essential variables, all recognised as Essential Climate Variables or intently associated to them: soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation, and above-ground biomass.

These information are important for bettering our understanding of Earth’s water cycle, agricultural planning, flood prediction, and our understanding of wetlands, permafrost dynamics and forest carbon storage.

As ESA’s first Scout mission, HydroGNSS is a part of the company’s Earth Observation FutureEO programme. Scout missions are designed to ship cutting-edge science shortly and affordably, complementing ESA’s bigger Earth Explorer missions.

Inspired by the ideas of New Space, the Scout programme emphasises agility and innovation – utilizing small satellites to miniaturise confirmed applied sciences or exhibit totally new methods of observing Earth.

Each Scout mission should transfer from kick-off to launch inside simply three years and beneath a funds of €35 million, protecting all the pieces from satellite tv for pc growth to in-orbit commissioning. The ensuing information are supplied as a service to the scientific group and ESA, serving to speed up our understanding of the planet.