Biomass being mated to the Vega-C launch adapter

Placing ESA's Biomass satelite onto its launch adapter at Europe Spaceport's integration facility. The adapter connects the satellite to the Vega-C rocket that will launch it on 29 April 2025 on flight VV26.

Once in orbit, Biomass will deliver novel information about the state of our forests, how they are changing over time, and advance our knowledge of the carbon cycle. It is the first satellite to carry a fully polarimetric P-band synthetic aperture radar for interferometric imaging. Thanks to the long wavelength of P-band, around 70 cm, the radar signal can slice through the whole forest layer to measure the ‘biomass’, meaning the woody trunks, branches and stems, which is where trees store most of their carbon.