Biomass sticker on Vega-C fairing

With the launch of the Biomass satellite approaching, the Vega-C rocket fairing has been adorned with the mission sticker.  Biomass is scheduled for liftoff on 29 April 2025 on Vega-C flight VV26 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Once in orbit and commissioned, Biomass mission will play a key role in delivering 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.