The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Biomass satellite has launched with a mission to create detailed forest maps of the world. The satellite is equipped with novel space technology, enabling it to record reflections all the way to ground level, revealing three-dimensional forest structure essential for precise carbon accounting.
The spacecraft’s early stages of commissioning are underway, with engineers fine-tuning systems and tweaking instrument settings. Despite this, the first images released by ESA have showcased stunning detail, demonstrating the radar’s power in capturing forest scenes from the Sahara Desert to the Brazilian Amazon.
Biomass’s ability to penetrate up to five meters of dry sand and slip into ice allows it to map glacier flow and detect buried riverbeds in deserts. The satellite is also expected to aid arid-zone planning by revealing hidden water reservoirs.
The ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programs, Simonetta Cheli, described the new mission as a “groundbreaking leap” that will provide vital insights into carbon storage, climate change, and forest ecosystem health. By combining cutting-edge radar technology with scientific excellence, the Biomass satellite is poised to deliver accurate data on global forest biomass.
The mission’s full potential becomes apparent when considering its repeated coverage scheme, which will reconstruct forest height and wood volume in three dimensions, producing global biomass maps every year for at least five years. These maps will feed carbon-cycle models, help nations report on climate mitigation goals, and monitor conservation policies.
Once the commissioning process is complete, data will flow freely to researchers worldwide, providing a definitive ledger for the planet’s forests and unlocking new insights into the complex relationships between forest ecosystems, climate change, and human activity.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/biomass-satellite-mission-sends-first-images-of-earths-most-extreme-environments