The successful launch of the Biomass satellite by The European Space Agency (ESA) is a milestone for Earth observation technology focused on global carbon measurement. For the first time, a P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system has been deployed in space—providing analysts the ability to analyze forest ecosystems at a structural level.
Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites, Biomass is designed specifically to detect and quantify woody biomass—the carbon stored in tree trunks, branches, and stems. This layer of forest carbon has historically been difficult to measure from orbit. The new radar capability allows the satellite to penetrate dense vegetation and cloud cover, delivering consistent, high-resolution data on forest carbon stocks across the globe.
Manufactured under the leadership of Airbus UK and supported by more than 50 partner organizations, the satellite is equipped with a 12-meter-wide deployable radar reflector attached to a 7.5-meter boom. This specialized system allows for high-fidelity mapping of forest structure, offering crucial insights into how much carbon forests store and how those levels shift in response to climate change, land-use pressures, and natural disturbances.
Forests play a central role in climate regulation, removing an estimated 8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Yet understanding their full impact—and vulnerability—has been limited by the lack of precise global measurement tools. ESA’s Biomass mission is designed to close that gap.
The satellite’s P-band radar offers a reliable way to monitor changes in above-ground biomass over time, making it possible to assess the effects of deforestation, forest degradation, and climate-related events with greater clarity. This supports efforts to model the global carbon cycle more accurately and could inform climate policy, conservation efforts, and reforestation strategies.
Beyond carbon tracking, Biomass's radar system offers cross-disciplinary benefits. Its ability to image through vegetation and clouds enables new geological studies, including subsurface mapping in deserts and assessments of ice sheet structures. It also opens up opportunities for biodiversity monitoring by delivering detailed data on forest composition and structure.
According to ESA Earth Observation Director Simonetta Cheli, Biomass will contribute to “a clearer understanding of Earth’s carbon budget,” helping scientists and policymakers track how carbon moves through land ecosystems in a warming world.
