The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched its Biomass satellite on a Vega-C rocket from French Guiana. The satellite is designed to study Europe’s forests and monitor their ecosystems using synthetic aperture radar. Biomass will be deployed in a sun-synchronous orbit 414 miles above Earth, where it will undergo a checkout period before beginning its five-year mission.
The satellite’s SAR instrument will allow it to collect data on forest height, structure, and carbon storage, as well as track habitat loss and its impact on biodiversity. The ESA says the new mission will provide valuable insights into the world’s forests and help scientists better understand the effects of human activity on these ecosystems.
This is the second successful launch for the Vega-C rocket, which had previously experienced a failure in 2022 due to an anomaly in its second stage. The rocket’s fourth launch overall has marked another milestone in ESA’s efforts to improve its launch capabilities. With Biomass now on board, the agency is one step closer to achieving its goals of monitoring and understanding Europe’s forests.
The satellite is part of the “Earth Explorers” series by the ESA, which aims to explore our planet’s ecosystems using advanced technology. The launch of Biomass marks an important development in this effort, highlighting the agency’s commitment to scientific research and exploration.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/vega-c-rocket-launch-esa-biomass-forest-monitoring-satellite