New satellite Biomass reveals secrets of our forests!

New satellite Biomass reveals secrets of our forests!

Kourou, Französisch-Guayana - On April 29, 2025, a new straw observation satellite called "Biomass" was successfully sent into space. The satellite was equipped with a 40 -foot extendable antenna and is therefore able to map all forests of the world. The start took place at 6:16 am from Kourou in French-Guayana through a Vega-C-Rakete, such as the Washington Post reported.

The biomass mission aims to create a detailed global image of the soil forests of the earth, in particular with regard to the effects of climate change and deforestation. The satellite will circle the earth about 15 to 16 times a day at a height of 413 miles and collect valuable data over a period of five years.

goal of the mission

The satellite was made by Airbus and is equipped with a highly developed P-band radar, which can look through the leaf roof of the forests. This enables the measurement of wood and carbon quantities without grasping the leaves of the trees. Shaun Quegan, the senior scientist of the mission, emphasizes that the satellite primarily captures the wooden structures underneath. The idea of ​​using P-band radar to map forests comes from Quegan, who brought this technology into play 20 years ago.

forests play a crucial role in the earth's carbon cycle. According to Tristan Quaife, a climate scientist, the calculation of the biomass is essential because it represents an important reservoir of carbon in the earth system. The satellite is measured a total of six times and needs about nine months to create a comprehensive global forest map before the first data is available within a few days and publicly accessible information is provided in about a year.

relevance and challenges

The mission could also encounter the challenges in the exact measurement of vegetation levels in forests. Previous studies indicated difficulties, while an investigation from 2020 showed that the rainforest loses its ability to absorb carbon dioxide in the Central African Congo pool. These findings are particularly relevant in view of the increasing deforestation rates that have reached a 15-year high under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro.

The satellite will also be part of a constellation of satellites that continuously monitor the forest areas. While NASA’s Gedi instrument on the international space station enables detailed observations of the tree tops, biomass will be able to generate a much greater amount of data, which will benefit science.

With a cost of around 500 million euros, the biomass mission is a comprehensive step in international efforts to deal with the global forest walks and to better understand the effects of climate change, as well as the Ingenieur.de determined.