HydroGNSS reflectometry

Using a technique called Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry, ESA’s HydroGNSS Scout mission provides measurements of key hydrological climate variables, including soil moisture, freeze–thaw state over permafrost, inundation and wetlands, and above-ground biomass. The HydroGNSS satellites measure the signal reflected off the land, ice and ocean from existing GNSS missions such as Galileo and GPS.

The HydroGNSS mission complements missions such as ESA’s SMOS and Biomass, Copernicus Sentinel-1 and NASA’s SMAP.