Watch Biomass launch live

24/04/2025
684 views
10 likes

ESA’s Biomass mission is on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Don’t miss the live coverage of liftoff on Tuesday 29 April, on ESA WebTV. Coverage will start at 10:55 CEST with commentary live from Kourou and ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Germany. The Vega-C rocket carrying Biomass is scheduled for liftoff at 11:15.

About Biomass

Biomass is one of ESA’s Earth Explorer missions and, like other Earth Explorers, it uses advanced space technology to provide new data. Biomass will advance our understanding of forests and their importance in the carbon cycle and climate.

We already know that forests play a vital role in Earth’s carbon cycle by absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide. This helps to regulate the planet’s temperature. Data from Biomass will help us produce more accurate estimates of how much carbon is contained in forests’ organic matter, or biomass, and reduce uncertainties in carbon stock and flux estimates, including those related to land-use change, forest loss, and regrowth.

Its P-band radar – the first of its kind used in space – penetrates clouds and forest layers, scattering signals off forest vegetation. These signals reveal details such as forest biomass and height. The Biomass mission’s data will improve knowledge of the state of Earth’s forests and how they are changing. It also enables the mapping of subsurface geology in deserts, ice sheet structures and forest floor topography.

The satellite was developed by over 50 companies led by Airbus UK.

Follow the launch live on 29 April

Watch the Biomass launch live on ESA WebTV and on Arianespace’s YouTube channel.

Programme

(All times in CEST)

• 11:15 Biomass launches on Vega-C
• 12:13 Separation and placement of Biomass in orbit
• 12:27 Acquisition of signal
• 12:38 End of launch broadcast
• 13:15 Press conference
• 14:00 Broadcast ends

Follow us on social

Follow ESA Earth observation on social media for more updates and live coverage of the Biomass launch using the #Biomass hashtag.

X: @esa @ESA_Earth Observation @ESA_Operations

Instagram: @europeanspaceagency @ESA_Earth

Facebook

YouTube

LinkedIn 

Pinterest

More information on the Biomass mission: www.esa.int/biomass

Like

Thank you for liking

You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!