Arctic tundra

To mark the first anniversary of the European Space Agency’s Biomass satellite, we present a selection of striking images captured over the past 12 months, revealing Earth’s forests, and much more, in new detail. In just one year, this pioneering mission has begun transforming our understanding of forest dynamics and advancing how scientists monitor the critical role forests play in regulating the global carbon cycle.

This image, captured over the Siberian Arctic on 21 June 2025, shows the Yamal Peninsula near Sabetta, where a vast, treeless Arctic tundra of hardy mosses and lichens blankets the permafrost, bordering the Gulf of Ob, whose waters remain frozen for much of the year. The scene highlights the stark ecology and frozen coastal dynamics of this high Arctic landscape.

Read full story: Stunning images from Biomass mark its one year in orbit