A new satellite named Biomass has been launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the world’s forests and measure their carbon dioxide capacity. The satellite, which was launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, New Guinea, successfully separated from its rocket less than an hour after launch.
The ESA will use the satellite to gather data on the planet’s forests, which absorb and store about 8 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. Deforestation and degradation can release stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
Biomass will use a P-band synthetic aperture radar to measure woody biomass, including tree trunks, branches, and stems. The satellite is designed to provide unprecedented insight into how forests impact the Earth’s carbon cycle and climate system.
The ESA’s director of Earth observation programs, Simonetta Cheli, stated that the satellite will help fill key gaps in knowledge about the carbon cycle. Once the radar takes measurements, the data will be received by a large mesh reflector and sent to the ESA’s mission control center. The satellite is currently over the Amazon rainforest, one of several regions it will study.
The ESA plans to use the satellite’s tools for other purposes, including mapping subsurface geology in deserts, ice sheet structures, and forest floor topography.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biomass-satellite-launches-weigh-worlds-trees