The European Space Agency’s Biomass satellite, which is currently being assembled by prime contractor Airbus UK in its Stevenage space facility, will measure the carbon stored in the world’s forests
Biomass is the first satellite to carry a fully polarimetric P-band radar. The radar has a 70cm wavelength that will allow it to go through the whole forest layer and map the trunks and branches hidden below, unlike previous missions. This will help scientists better assess the effects of deforestation on climate change more accurately, significantly reducing the uncertainty around current measures.
The mission is expected to last five years, scanning the world’s forests every six months. People will be able to track the satellite as it orbits the Earth.
Maria Cody, head of ESA policy at the UK Space Agency, stressed that Biomass will allow scientists, as well as the wider public, to see “if there is a degradation or a destruction of forests" and "model what...