Biomass – an Earth Explorer research mission developed within ESA’s FutureEO programme – was launch on 29 April 2025, following years of meticulous development. This novel satellite is the first to carry a P-band synthetic aperture radar, its signal capable of penetrating forest canopies to measure woody biomass – trunks, branches and stems. These measurements serve as a proxy for carbon storage, the assessment of which is the mission’s primary objective. Data from Biomass will significantly reduce uncertainties in carbon stock and flux estimates, including those related to land-use change, forest loss and regrowth to further our knowledge of the role forests play in the carbon cycle.

Still in its commissioning phase, this remarkable mission returned its first images within two months of being launched. While these first data cannot yet be used to quantify carbon or support scientific advances – they offer a glimpse of what is to come.

Read full story: Biomass satellite returns striking first images of forests and more