Toulouse, France: Airbus has announced the departure of Biomass, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Explorer satellite, from Toulouse, France, on its journey to Kourou, French Guiana, where it will be launched into space. The flagship mission is designed to measure global forest biomass and assess carbon stocks and fluxes from an altitude of 666 kilometres (414 miles), reports Military. Aerospace Electronics.
Biomass is equipped with the first-ever space-based P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), capable of penetrating dense forest canopies to accurately measure tree biomass and structure. The high-resolution 3D maps generated by this technology will provide critical insights into carbon storage across tropical, temperate, and boreal forests.
A key feature of the satellite is its 12-meter deployable antenna, one of the largest ever used in space for such a mission. This antenna captures reflected radar signals from forests, enabling precise biomass density measurements. Advanced signal processing techniques will help filter out interference and extract highly accurate data. The radar operates in tomographic mode, allowing it to construct detailed 3D images of forests from multiple angles.
“Shipping this flagship mission is a major milestone after years of hard work and dedication from all our teams,” said Alain Fauré, head of space systems at Airbus Defence and Space. “The satellite’s groundbreaking technology will allow climatologists to accurately assess carbon stocks and fluxes from space, improving our understanding of forests’ role in regulating climate.”
The testing campaign was led by Airbus engineers in Stevenage, U.K., with support from teams in Germany and 20 other countries. Biomass will be launched aboard a Vega-C rocket and is expected to operate for five years in orbit.
