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

Map of forest carbon from ESA’s Biomass mission

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

26/01/2026 11498 views 101 likes

Forest floor and forest canopy

Brazil gears up to harness ESA’s Biomass data

13/11/2025 4075 views 44 likes

Global map of vegetation optical depth, 2018

SMOS adds long-term view on carbon stored in forests

01/08/2025 3311 views 55 likes

Bolivian forest and landscape from Biomass

Biomass satellite returns striking first images of forests …

23/06/2025 45522 views 143 likes

ESA's Biomass Calibration Transponder in New Norcia, Australia

Enabling & Support

Biomass, an oversized football and the Australian outback

15/05/2025 1752 views 20 likes

Biomass model in ESA's Main Control Room

Enabling & Support

Biomass completes a relay race of a LEOP

09/05/2025 2176 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 19441 views 146 likes

Above-ground biomass 2022

ESA unveils longest-ever dataset on forest biomass

02/05/2025 16524 views 62 likes

Biomass takes to the skies

Biomass launched to count forest carbon

29/04/2025 19078 views 136 likes

Biomass ready for liftoff

Biomass poised for liftoff to unveil forest secrets

28/04/2025 3334 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 2893 views 36 likes

Vega-C fairing release revealing Biomass

Watch Biomass launch live

24/04/2025 22650 views 66 likes

Simulations ongoing for Biomass launch

Enabling & Support

Final preparations for Biomass operations

23/04/2025 1888 views 18 likes

Sealing Biomass within the Vega-C fairing

Forest mission sealed within rocket fairing for liftoff

16/04/2025 3654 views 67 likes

Preparing Biomass for fuelling

Biomass fully loaded

10/04/2025 3178 views 37 likes

Biomass heads for the launch site

ESA’s pioneering Biomass satellite arrives at launch site

10/03/2025 4811 views 54 likes

Biomass standing proud

Forest mission on show

11/02/2025 5616 views 61 likes

10 remarkable Earth facts

18/04/2023 604913 views 2799 likes

Biomass satellite over forest

ESA’s forest satellite robust for launch

23/02/2023 6001 views 68 likes

Biomass instrument open

Biomass heads for the shaker

14/11/2022 3259 views 38 likes

Biomass mission

Enabling & Support

Forecasting performance of a space antenna – before it gets…

26/01/2022 4514 views 45 likes

Biomass’ 12-metre wire-mesh reflector

ESA’s Biomass on track to target forests

15/11/2021 5824 views 65 likes

Above ground biomass in Russia

Russia’s forests store more carbon than previously thought

04/08/2021 12173 views 96 likes

Above ground biomass in the Amazon basin

Forest degradation primary driver of carbon loss in the Bra…

10/06/2021 7178 views 98 likes

Biomass satellite

Forest measuring satellite passes tests with flying colours

28/04/2021 6865 views 127 likes

Forests key to climate fight

Contract seals deal for Biomass satellite’s ride into space

28/10/2019 4000 views 52 likes

Biomass mission

Enabling & Support

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

16/10/2018 5835 views 113 likes

Forest carbon

Ready to build the Biomass forest mission

03/05/2016 5977 views 54 likes

Gabon forest

Focus on Gabon forests for Biomass

03/03/2016 3632 views 47 likes

Forest from above

Gabon on the radar

22/07/2015 5199 views 50 likes

Forest carbon

ESA’s Biomass satellite goes ahead

19/02/2015 15306 views 114 likes

Height of Bangladesh mangrove

Mapping forest structure from space

30/01/2015 9148 views 61 likes

Northern biomass

Earth’s northern biomass mapped and measured

26/06/2013 9343 views 73 likes

Forest carbon

Earth Explorers take centre stage at Le Bourget

19/06/2013 3991 views 40 likes

Forest carbon

ESA calls for Biomass Mission Advisory Group

08/05/2013 2372 views 5 likes

Composite of P-band SAR data

Campaign reveals how forest change can be monitored from sp…

26/10/2010 1520 views 2 likes

Large tropical tree

ESA investigates new methods of mapping tropical forest fro…

21/08/2009 1910 views 2 likes

Three components of the Earth system

Three ESA Earth science missions move to next phase

02/03/2009 2421 views 2 likes

ESA's Earth Science Advisory Committee

Quest for new Earth Explorer leads scientists to Lisbon

22/01/2009 1345 views 0 likes

Boreal forest

ESA leads the way to map boreal forest

20/10/2008 8034 views 2 likes

Different spheres of the Earth system

ESA to consult the science community on Earth Explorer sele…

17/07/2008 1590 views 0 likes

Biomass measuring concept

Measuring forest biomass from space - ESA campaign tests BI…

30/05/2007 4664 views 3 likes

The Living Planet

Six new Earth Explorer missions selected for further study

23/05/2006 3037 views 0 likes

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