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\t\t\t\t\t\t29\/04\/2025<\/span> ESA\u2019s groundbreaking Biomass satellite, designed to provide unprecedented insights into the world\u2019s forests and their crucial role in Earth\u2019s carbon cycle, has been launched. The satellite lifted off aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe\u2019s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 29 April at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Less than an hour after launch, Biomass separated from the rocket\u2019s upper stage. At 12:28 CEST, the satellite controllers at ESA\u2019s European Space Operations Centre in Germany received the all-important first signal, relayed via the Troll ground station in Antarctica, that Biomass is working as expected in orbit.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Controllers will spend the coming days carrying out the \u2018launch and early orbit\u2019 phase, meticulously verifying that all systems are functioning correctly.<\/p>\n This critical phase also involves a series of intricate manoeuvres to deploy the satellite\u2019s 12-metre-wide mesh reflector supported by a 7.5-metre boom. Once this phase is complete, Biomass will join the portfolio of pioneering missions operated from ESA’s mission control centre.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Carrying the first P-band synthetic aperture radar in space, the Biomass mission is designed to deliver crucial information about the state of our forests and how they are changing, and to further our knowledge of the role forests play in the carbon cycle.<\/p>\n ESA\u2019s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, \u201cI\u2019d like to extend my congratulations to everyone who has been involved in developing and launching this extraordinary mission. Biomass now joins our esteemed family of Earth Explorers \u2013 missions that have consistently delivered groundbreaking discoveries and advanced scientific understanding of our planet.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Biomass, we are poised to gain vital new data on how much carbon is stored in the world\u2019s forests, helping to fill key gaps in our knowledge of the carbon cycle and, ultimately, Earth’s climate system.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Forests play a vital role in Earth\u2019s carbon cycle by absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide, helping to regulate the planet\u2019s temperature. Often called \u2018Earth\u2019s green lungs\u2019, they absorb around 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. However, deforestation and degradation \u2013 especially in tropical regions \u2013 are releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere, worsening climate change.<\/p>\n A major challenge for scientists and policymakers is the lack of accurate data on how much carbon forests store and how these stocks are changing owing to factors such as rising temperatures, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and human-driven land-use changes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Biomass is the first satellite equipped with a P-band synthetic aperture radar, which is capable of penetrating forest canopies to measure woody biomass \u2013 trunks, branches, and stems \u2013 where most forest carbon is stored. These measurements act as a proxy for carbon storage, the assessment of which is the mission\u2019s primary goal.<\/p>\n Data from Biomass will significantly reduce uncertainties in carbon stock and flux estimates, including those related to land-use change, forest loss, and regrowth.<\/p>\n \nAbout Biomass<\/b> The satellite was developed by over 50 companies led by Airbus UK.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n About Vega-C<\/b><\/p>\n Europe\u2019s Vega-C rocket can launch up to 3300 kg into space, including small scientific and Earth observation satellites. At 35 m tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of satellites into their desired orbit around Earth. Vega-C is the evolution of the Vega family of rockets and delivers increased performance, greater payload volume and improved competitiveness.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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ESA\u2019s Biomass forest mission uses advanced space technology to provide new data on forests and their changes. It enhances our understanding of forests\u2019 roles in the carbon cycle and climate. Its P-band radar penetrates clouds and forest layers, scattering signals off forest elements. These signals reveal details like forest biomass and height. Biomass data will improve knowledge of habitat loss and its effects on biodiversity. The mission also enables the mapping of subsurface geology in deserts, ice sheet structures, and forest floor topography.<\/p>\n