Exciting news from the European Space Agency! In April 2025, a new satellite called Biomass is set to launch into space on a special mission to study Earth’s forests.
Forests are sometimes called “the green lungs of planet Earth”. They are extremely important in maintaining a healthy world, but fires and deforestation (cutting down lots of trees) along with climate change threaten to damage and destroy forests. Biomass will monitor forests and help us learn more about them.
How does Biomass work
The Biomass satellite will orbit 666 kilometres above Earth’s surface, using its 12-metre diameter antenna to collect data to help create detailed maps of the forest structure, like how tall the trees are and how dense the forest is. From this, scientists can estimate the forest biomass and how much carbon it is storing.
Biomass is equipped with a special type of radar that gives it a superpower: the ability to see through the leafy top layer of the forest! It can use this radar to look at the parts below, like woody trunks, branches, and stems.
This information is valuable because trees absorb carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to climate change, and they store most of it within their woody biomass. However, destruction of the forests can release this stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. By knowing how much carbon is stored in forests, scientists can monitor changes and we can better protect our precious environment.
3… 2… 1… lift-off!
The Biomass satellite is scheduled to launch in April aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Once in space it will begin its five-year mission, collecting data that will be shared with scientists worldwide. This mission is part of ESA’s Living Planet Programme, which aims to learn more about our Earth and how it is changing.
As Biomass prepares for its journey, scientists and engineers are working hard to ensure everything is ready for the launch. Biomass will help us understand our planet’s forests better than ever before, protecting the green lungs of planet Earth for future generations. The next time you are in a forest, think about Biomass orbiting high above our planet and working hard to help us keep it healthy!
Cool fact: For the first year of its mission Biomass will study the same areas of forest up to seven times, allowing scientists to create a 3D view of the trees and revealing the forest’s inner structure!
