Hibidis – to scout for forest biodiversity

Hibidis, an ESA Scout mission, stands for Hyperspectral Biodiversity Scout. The satellite carries a hyperspectral imager to improve our understanding of understorey ecosystem biodiversity. By viewing selected areas of Earth’s surface from three different angles, this clever instrument will be able to separate forest canopies from understories so that various Essential Biodiversity Variables of the canopy and the understorey can be assessed.