The NASA CYGNSS microsat constellation

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was launched in December 2016 into a low inclination Earth orbit. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver which measures signals transmitted by GPS satellites and scattered back into space by the Earth surface. Over the ocean, surface roughness, near-surface wind speed and air-sea latent heat flux are estimated from the direct measurements of surface scattering cross section. Over the land, estimates of soil moisture and flood inundation are also possible. An overview and the current status of the mission will be presented, together with highlights of recent scientific results.