Europe puts ‘Biomass’ satellite into orbit to track forests & carbon storage

In a historical development, the European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched its pioneering ‘Biomass’ satellite, a mission set to transform our understanding of the world’s forests and their essential role in Earth’s carbon cycle. The satellite was carried into orbit by a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Shortly after launch, controllers at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Germany received the first signal from the satellite. This crucial confirmation, relayed via the Troll ground station in Antarctica, verified that Biomass is functioning as expected in space.

Biomass carries the first-ever P-band synthetic aperture radar to be deployed in orbit. This advanced instrument allows the satellite to peer through dense forest canopies and measure woody biomass—specifically the trunks, branches, and stems of trees—where the majority of forest carbon is stored. These measurements are essential for estimating carbon stocks and tracking how they change over time.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, celebrated the mission’s successful deployment. “I’d like to extend my congratulations to everyone involved in developing and launching this extraordinary mission. Biomass now joins our prestigious family of Earth Explorer missions, which have consistently delivered cutting-edge scientific insights about our planet,” she said. “With Biomass, we are set to gain crucial new data on how much carbon is locked away in forests across the globe, helping to close key gaps in our understanding of the carbon cycle and the climate system.”

Forests act as a powerful buffer in the fight against climate change, absorbing roughly 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Often referred to as ‘Earth’s green lungs,’ they help stabilize global temperatures. However, this balance is under threat. Deforestation, degradation, and land-use changes—especially in tropical regions—are releasing significant amounts of stored carbon back into the atmosphere.

One of the greatest challenges faced by scientists and policymakers is the lack of accurate, global-scale data on how much carbon is stored in forests and how these levels are changing due to climate and human influences. Biomass is designed to address this gap.

By delivering highly accurate measurements of woody biomass, the satellite will enable researchers to better estimate carbon stocks and fluxes—especially those associated with deforestation, reforestation, and land conversion. This data will be instrumental for climate models, conservation planning, and international climate reporting.

With Biomass now in orbit and fully operational, ESA is set to usher in a new era of forest monitoring that will sharpen our understanding of carbon storage and help guide global climate action.