Satellite “Biomass” to measure all the world’s forests.

Darmstadt/Kourou (dpa) – Drought, climate change and pests are putting increasing strain on native forests, while elsewhere, large areas are being cleared. On Tuesday, the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch the Earth observation satellite “Biomass” into orbit from the Kourou spaceport using a Vega-C launch vehicle, in a bid to better understand the Earth’s green lungs. Controlled from the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, the satellite is expected to provide data and models for scientific research over the coming years.  

According to Klaus Scipal, the ESA’s Biomass mission manager, the probe carries just a single instrument on board: a new type of radar. While satellites can already detect deforestation, Scipal explains, "we don’t know how much mass the forest had or how much carbon was stored there." This is set to change with Biomass, he says. By the end of its five-and-a-half-year mission, it is hoped the satellite will reveal how much the Earth’s biomass has increased or decreased, says Scipal: "Our main aim is to provide data for climate models."