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\t\t\t\t\t\t20\/05\/2026<\/span> The European Space Agency is expanding its growing fleet of Earth-observing science Scout missions with the selection of two new satellites: Hibidis and SOVA-S.<\/p>\n Chosen from four final competing concepts, these missions will tackle very different but equally pressing scientific questions \u2013 from biodiversity below forest canopies to the effects of atmospheric gravity waves high above Earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hibidis is designed to reveal new insights into understorey biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, while SOVA-S will investigate how atmospheric gravity waves influence the upper atmosphere and thermosphere.<\/p>\n The selection was formally approved today by ESA\u2019s Earth Observation Programme Board following an intensive 10-month evaluation process.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Complementing the well-established series of Earth Explorer research satellite missions, Scouts are a relatively recent component of ESA’s Earth Observation FutureEO programme. This family of small satellites delivers value-added science, either by miniaturising existing space technologies or by demonstrating new observing techniques. Importantly, the overarching aim is to achieve all of this quickly.<\/p>\n Embracing the concept of New Space, the Scout category of missions follows an extremely agile and low-cost development process.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Director of ESA\u2019s Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, \u201cThe ESA Scout missions show that achieving groundbreaking Earth science doesn\u2019t always require large budgets and long development times. By moving fast, embracing innovation and empowering emerging ideas, these missions demonstrate how agility and creativity can accelerate progress, delivering impactful science and technology in a remarkably short timeframe.<\/p>\n \u201cNevertheless, the decision to greenlight Hibidis and SOVA-S was not taken lightly and the final decision only came after the four concepts were stringently assessed. We congratulate the Hibidis and SOVA-S teams and now look forward to making them a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Hibidis and SOVA-S now join the family of Scouts that includes HydroGNSS which was launched in November 2025 to provide measurements of key hydrological climate variables, NanoMagSat in development to further understand the dynamics of the magnetic field and of the role of the Sun in the coupled atmospheric\u2013ionospheric\u2013magnetospheric system, and Tango in development to measure methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide being emitted from large industrial sites.<\/p>\n \nHibidis<\/b> By viewing selected areas of Earth\u2019s surface from three different angles, this clever instrument will be able to separate forest canopies from understories so that various Essential Biodiversity Variables can be assessed.<\/p>\n SITAEL\u00a0in Italy is the prime contractor for Hibidis. SITAEL CEO, Chiara Pertosa, said, \u201cWe are proud that SITAEL is leading the ESA Scout Hibidis mission, dedicated to biodiversity. Thanks to the new Empyreum platform, Hibidis will generate data that are currently unavailable, opening up new opportunities for monitoring terrestrial ecosystems.<\/p>\n \u201cI would like to thank our partners AMOS for the hyperspectral instrument, and VITO and the University of Zurich for the data processing and the scientific contribution to the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \nSOVA-S<\/b> Atmospheric gravity waves play an important role in shaping Earth\u2019s climate, but current climate models do not yet fully capture their effects. Like ocean waves in the air, they carry large amounts of energy from the lower atmosphere to higher altitudes, where they break and influence atmospheric circulation over vast distances. The mission\u2019s data will help improve climate and space-weather models, leading to better forecasting of extreme weather and more accurate GNSS positioning for applications such as aviation.<\/p>\n OHB Czechspace is the prime contractor for SOVA-S. Managing Director of OHB Czechspace, Vit Pavelec, said, \u201cThe selection of SOVA-S marks a major milestone for both our team and the Czech space sector.<\/p>\n \u201cAs prime contractor, we are proud to lead development of what will be the largest satellite ever built in the Czech Republic. Equally important is the strong Czech-Bavarian cooperation with DLR and industrial partners, alongside close Czech-German collaboration on the satellite platform, demonstrating Europe\u2019s ability to unite expertise across borders to deliver ambitious space missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Hibidis stands for Hyperspectral Biodiversity Scout \u2013 and as its full name suggests, it will carry a hyperspectral imager to improve our understanding of understorey ecosystem biodiversity.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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SOVA-S stands for Satellite Observation of Waves in the Atmosphere \u2013 Scout. It will carry a shortwave infrared imager to provide near-global daily observations of gravity waves at an altitude of between 80 km and 120 km. It will do this by measuring the intensity of \u2018airglow\u2019 \u2013 a faint emission of light produced by a chemical reaction in the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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