ESA - Biomass - Archive

ESA title

The mission

Carrying a novel P-band synthetic aperture radar, 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.

The launch

Date: 29 April 2025
Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Rocket: Vega-C

1st P-band radar in space
666 km altitude
1250 kg mass
12 m diameter antenna

Biomass

Gallery forests of the Angola–DRC borderlands

Stunning images from Biomass mark its one year in orbit

29/04/2026 3541 views 74 likes

Map of forest carbon from ESA’s Biomass mission

ESA’s Biomass goes live with data now open to all

26/01/2026 12121 views 106 likes

Forest floor and forest canopy

Brazil gears up to harness ESA’s Biomass data

13/11/2025 4189 views 44 likes

Global map of vegetation optical depth, 2018

SMOS adds long-term view on carbon stored in forests

01/08/2025 3374 views 56 likes

Bolivian forest and landscape from Biomass

Biomass satellite returns striking first images of forests …

23/06/2025 46071 views 144 likes

ESA's Biomass Calibration Transponder in New Norcia, Australia

Enabling & Support

Biomass, an oversized football and the Australian outback

15/05/2025 1786 views 20 likes

Biomass model in ESA's Main Control Room

Enabling & Support

Biomass completes a relay race of a LEOP

09/05/2025 2206 views 30 likes

Just a week after its launch, ESA’s Biomass 12-metre-diameter antenna is now fully deployed.

Forest satellite’s big antenna opens up

07/05/2025 19555 views 146 likes

Above-ground biomass 2022

ESA unveils longest-ever dataset on forest biomass

02/05/2025 16664 views 62 likes

Biomass takes to the skies

Biomass launched to count forest carbon

29/04/2025 19292 views 137 likes

Biomass ready for liftoff

Biomass poised for liftoff to unveil forest secrets

28/04/2025 3361 views 28 likes

Measuring the diameter of a tree in forest close to Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil

A new space age for forests – but groundwork still matters

24/04/2025 2932 views 36 likes

Vega-C fairing release revealing Biomass

Watch Biomass launch live

24/04/2025 22683 views 66 likes

Simulations ongoing for Biomass launch

Enabling & Support

Final preparations for Biomass operations

23/04/2025 1897 views 18 likes

Sealing Biomass within the Vega-C fairing

Forest mission sealed within rocket fairing for liftoff

16/04/2025 3682 views 67 likes

Preparing Biomass for fuelling

Biomass fully loaded

10/04/2025 3197 views 37 likes

Biomass heads for the launch site

ESA’s pioneering Biomass satellite arrives at launch site

10/03/2025 4843 views 54 likes

Biomass standing proud

Forest mission on show

11/02/2025 5650 views 61 likes

10 remarkable Earth facts

18/04/2023 610009 views 2805 likes

Biomass satellite over forest

ESA’s forest satellite robust for launch

23/02/2023 6014 views 68 likes

Biomass instrument open

Biomass heads for the shaker

14/11/2022 3282 views 38 likes

Biomass mission

Enabling & Support

Forecasting performance of a space antenna – before it gets…

26/01/2022 4536 views 45 likes

Biomass’ 12-metre wire-mesh reflector

ESA’s Biomass on track to target forests

15/11/2021 5840 views 65 likes

Above ground biomass in Russia

Russia’s forests store more carbon than previously thought

04/08/2021 12198 views 96 likes

Above ground biomass in the Amazon basin

Forest degradation primary driver of carbon loss in the Bra…

10/06/2021 7218 views 98 likes

Biomass satellite

Forest measuring satellite passes tests with flying colours

28/04/2021 6876 views 127 likes

Forests key to climate fight

Contract seals deal for Biomass satellite’s ride into space

28/10/2019 4005 views 52 likes

Biomass mission

Enabling & Support

Key components of tree-counting Biomass radar cleared for s…

16/10/2018 5845 views 113 likes

Forest carbon

Ready to build the Biomass forest mission

03/05/2016 5987 views 54 likes

Gabon forest

Focus on Gabon forests for Biomass

03/03/2016 3641 views 47 likes

Forest from above

Gabon on the radar

22/07/2015 5206 views 50 likes

Forest carbon

ESA’s Biomass satellite goes ahead

19/02/2015 15318 views 114 likes

Height of Bangladesh mangrove

Mapping forest structure from space

30/01/2015 9158 views 61 likes

Northern biomass

Earth’s northern biomass mapped and measured

26/06/2013 9351 views 73 likes

Forest carbon

Earth Explorers take centre stage at Le Bourget

19/06/2013 3994 views 40 likes

Forest carbon

ESA calls for Biomass Mission Advisory Group

08/05/2013 2387 views 5 likes

Composite of P-band SAR data

Campaign reveals how forest change can be monitored from sp…

26/10/2010 1531 views 2 likes

Large tropical tree

ESA investigates new methods of mapping tropical forest fro…

21/08/2009 1924 views 2 likes

Three components of the Earth system

Three ESA Earth science missions move to next phase

02/03/2009 2431 views 2 likes

ESA's Earth Science Advisory Committee

Quest for new Earth Explorer leads scientists to Lisbon

22/01/2009 1351 views 0 likes

Boreal forest

ESA leads the way to map boreal forest

20/10/2008 8070 views 2 likes

Different spheres of the Earth system

ESA to consult the science community on Earth Explorer sele…

17/07/2008 1593 views 0 likes

Biomass measuring concept

Measuring forest biomass from space - ESA campaign tests BI…

30/05/2007 4674 views 3 likes

The Living Planet

Six new Earth Explorer missions selected for further study

23/05/2006 3054 views 0 likes

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