20/05/2026
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The European House Company is increasing its rising fleet of Earth-observing science Scout missions with the collection of two new satellites: Hibidis and SOVA-S.
Chosen from 4 closing competing ideas, these missions will sort out very totally different however equally urgent scientific questions – from biodiversity under forest canopies to the consequences of atmospheric gravity waves excessive above Earth.
Hibidis is designed to disclose new insights into understorey biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, whereas SOVA-S will examine how atmospheric gravity waves affect the higher environment and thermosphere.
The choice was formally accredited at present by ESA’s Earth Remark Programme Board following an intensive 10-month analysis course of.
Complementing the well-established collection of Earth Explorer analysis satellite tv for pc missions, Scouts are a comparatively current part of ESA’s Earth Remark FutureEO programme. This household of small satellites delivers value-added science, both by miniaturising current house applied sciences or by demonstrating new observing strategies. Importantly, the overarching purpose is to attain all of this rapidly.
Embracing the idea of New House, the Scout class of missions follows an especially agile and low-cost improvement course of.
Director of ESA’s Earth Remark Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, stated, “The ESA Scout missions present that reaching groundbreaking Earth science doesn’t all the time require giant budgets and lengthy improvement occasions. By shifting quick, embracing innovation and empowering rising concepts, these missions display how agility and creativity can speed up progress, delivering impactful science and know-how in a remarkably brief timeframe.
“However, the choice to greenlight Hibidis and SOVA-S was not taken calmly and the ultimate choice solely got here after the 4 ideas have been stringently assessed. We congratulate the Hibidis and SOVA-S groups and now sit up for making them a actuality.”
Hibidis and SOVA-S now be a part of the household of Scouts that features HydroGNSS which was launched in November 2025 to offer measurements of key hydrological local weather variables, NanoMagSat in improvement to additional perceive the dynamics of the magnetic subject and of the function of the Solar within the coupled atmospheric–ionospheric–magnetospheric system, and Tango in improvement to measure methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide being emitted from giant industrial websites.
Hibidis
Hibidis stands for Hyperspectral Biodiversity Scout – and as its full title suggests, it can carry a hyperspectral imager to enhance our understanding of understorey ecosystem biodiversity.
By viewing chosen areas of Earth’s floor from three totally different angles, this intelligent instrument will have the ability to separate forest canopies from understories in order that varied Essential Biodiversity Variables could be assessed.
SITAEL in Italy is the prime contractor for Hibidis. SITAEL CEO, Chiara Pertosa, stated, “We’re proud that SITAEL is main the ESA Scout Hibidis mission, devoted to biodiversity. Because of the brand new Empyreum platform, Hibidis will generate knowledge which might be presently unavailable, opening up new alternatives for monitoring terrestrial ecosystems.
“I want to thank our companions AMOS for the hyperspectral instrument, and VITO and the University of Zurich for the information processing and the scientific contribution to the mission.”
SOVA-S
SOVA-S stands for Satellite tv for pc Remark of Waves within the Environment – Scout. It is going to carry a shortwave infrared imager to offer near-global every day observations of gravity waves at an altitude of between 80 km and 120 km. It is going to do that by measuring the depth of ‘airglow’ – a faint emission of sunshine produced by a chemical response within the environment.
Atmospheric gravity waves play an necessary function in shaping Earth’s local weather, however present local weather fashions don’t but totally seize their results. Like ocean waves within the air, they carry giant quantities of vitality from the decrease environment to greater altitudes, the place they break and affect atmospheric circulation over huge distances. The mission’s knowledge will assist enhance local weather and space-weather fashions, main to raised forecasting of maximum climate and extra correct GNSS positioning for purposes akin to aviation.
OHB Czechspace is the prime contractor for SOVA-S. Managing Director of OHB Czechspace, Vit Pavelec, stated, “The collection of SOVA-S marks a significant milestone for each our staff and the Czech house sector.
“As prime contractor, we’re proud to steer improvement of what would be the largest satellite tv for pc ever constructed within the Czech Republic. Equally necessary is the robust Czech-Bavarian cooperation with DLR and industrial companions, alongside shut Czech-German collaboration on the satellite tv for pc platform, demonstrating Europe’s means to unite experience throughout borders to ship bold house missions.”
