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Earth’s forests are pivotal to keeping our planet habitable. Freely referred to as the “lungs of the Earth,” they blanket about one-third of the globe and have a significant function to play in modifying the weather. Forests also take in enormous quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air — approximately 7.6 billion metric tons each year, NASA says — and emit oxygen, which makes life on Earth viable.
ESA launched Biomass satellite to study forest carbon estimation
According to ESA, to meet this challenge Biomass satellite is deployed into orbit on 29 April 2025 Tuesday aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).
The mission represents a giant leap in monitoring forests and climate studies. Biomass is the first satellite to be equipped with a P-band synthetic aperture radar — a technology that can penetrate deep into forest canopies and show detailed, three-dimensional structures of the trees beneath. Imagine it as an Earth-sized MRI machine. By taking the density and structure of tree trunks, branches, and stems, Biomass will enable scientists to estimate the amount of carbon in forests as well as how much is emitted.
Why forest monitoring is becoming increasingly urgent
Though essential, forests are being increasingly threatened by human action. Deforestation, land degradation, and even increasing fires are diminishing their capacity to sequester CO₂. Hence, forests in most places — particularly tropical forests — are starting to emit more carbon than they lock away, fueling global warming. Tracking how forests react to increasing levels of greenhouse gases and environmental stressors is tricky. Thick forest cover and dense vegetation hinder the measurement of forest health on the ground or even using conventional satellite imagery.
Biomass satellite measuring forest carbon to track climate change
“With Biomass, we are set to harvest critical new information about the amount of carbon held in forests around the globe, which will help to close important knowledge gaps regarding the carbon cycle and, in the end, Earth’s climate system,” explained Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes. This data is critical. Standing forests have a tendency to retain more carbon than they release. But because of extensive deforestation and forest loss, most forests — especially those in the Amazon and Southeast Asia — have reversed from being carbon sinks to becoming carbon sources.
“This new mission will enhance our capability to measure forest carbon stocks and fluxes, which is at the heart of understanding and estimating the effects of climate change,” said Michael Fehringer, ESA’s Biomass Project Manager.
Biomass satellite to track forest carbon
The satellite was produced with the involvement of 50 partner companies, including project lead Airbus UK. In the days ahead, mission controllers will check that the satellite’s systems are working as they should. Once operational, Biomass will start generating 3D maps of forest biomass and carbon distribution, enabling scientists to better understand the changing role of forests in the global carbon cycle. As climate change speeds up and forest health declines, accurate, real-time data is more important than ever. Biomass will enable scientists, policymakers, and conservationists to know where and how to intervene — whether it’s safeguarding carbon-dense forests or quantifying the actual effect of deforestation. The mission won’t halt climate change by itself, but it might be an essential component in the worldwide effort to slow its impact.
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