SOVA-S Mission: OHB Czechspace Team Succeeds in Prestigious ESA Scout Program

7/6/2025

The SOVA-S (Satellite Observation of waVes in the Atmosphere – Scout) mission, led by OHB Czechspace, has been selected as one of the four best projects in the second cycle of the ESA Scout program focused on innovative satellite missions for Earth observation. This is the first Czech-led mission to advance to the consolidation phase of the program, representing a major milestone for the domestic space sector. The contract between ESA and OHB Czechspace was signed at the Living Planet Symposium in Vienna.

The mission aims to improve understanding of atmospheric gravity waves – large-scale currents in the atmosphere that affect air circulation and the global climate. The satellite will measure the parameters of these waves on a daily basis at altitudes ranging from 80 to 370 km, providing unique data for refining climate models and predicting extreme events. A pair of special cameras will monitor the radiation of the atmosphere (known as airglow) in the lines of atomic oxygen (O) and hydroxyl (OH), which will enable the dynamics of the upper atmosphere to be analyzed with unprecedented resolution.

The project is being carried out by an international consortium led by OHB Czechspace with the support of partners Berlin Space Technologies, OHB System, the German Space Agency DLR, and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. This team brings together leading European experts in the fields of atmospheric research and space engineering.

The SOVA-S mission complements the development of other ESA projects in the Earth Explorer program and is an example of an agile and low-cost approach to next-generation scientific missions. The final selection of two missions for implementation is expected in 2027. The success of SOVA-S would not only benefit Earth science, but also significantly strengthen the Czech Republic's position in European space research.