Ultra-low-noise amplifiers achieve in-orbit milestone on ESA HydroGNSS mission

Ultra-low-noise amplifiers developed by European Engineering Consultancy Ltd. (EECL) are operating in orbit on the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) HydroGNSS mission, marking a technical milestone for the hardware following the satellites’ launch in November 2025.

HydroGNSS consists of two small satellites designed to measure hydrological and climate-related variables using GNSS reflectometry. The satellites collect signals transmitted by navigation satellites such as GPS and Galileo and analyze those signals after they reflect from Earth’s surface. The reflected signals provide data on environmental parameters including soil moisture, freeze–thaw conditions in permafrost regions, wetlands and inundation, and above-ground biomass.