The Biomass satellite aims to provide essential data on the condition and evolution of global forests, enhancing the understanding of how they influence the planet's carbon cycle.
Arianespace has launched the European Space Agencys (ESA) Earth Explorer Biomass satellite from Europes Spaceport in French Guiana. The mission called VV26, placed its passenger on board a Vega C launcher, into Sun-Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of around 666 km. Spacecraft separation occurred 57 minutes after lift-off.
David Cavaillolès, CEO of Arianespace, said: “With the successful launch of Biomass for the European Space Agency, Arianespace not only ensures Europes autonomous access to space, but also contributes to using space to make life better on Earth. The fine-tuned collaboration between all involved made it possible to place into orbit a satellite dedicated to environmental monitoring and climate research, to help us better understand the forests of our planet. With this mission, we are proud to contribute to the fight against climate change and the preservation of biodiversity. Congratulations to the Arianespace team and to all our partner teams on this perfectly executed European mission.”
After lift-off from Europes Spaceport, the Vega C launcher was propelled by the first three stages for a little over seven minutes. Then the AVUM+ 4th stage ignited twice before releasing Biomass in the target orbit, marking the successful launch. Approximately 14 minutes after separation, ESA successfully acquired signals from the satellite.
Simonetta Cheli, ESAs Director of Earth Observation Programmes, commented: “Id like to thank Arianespace and Avio for the successful launch of Vega-C carrying our Biomass satellite into orbit. This remarkable mission joins our family of Earth Explorers, each of which has consistently delivered groundbreaking insights into our planet and yielded scientific excellence. Biomass will provide crucial data to help us better understand how much carbon is stored in the worlds forests and fill critical gaps in our understanding of the carbon cycle, and hence Earths climate system.”
The Biomass satellite carries the first P-band synthetic aperture radar to observe Earth from space. Thanks to its long wavelength, around 70 cm, the radar signal can penetrate all the way through the forest canopy. This allows it to collect information on the height and structure of different forest types and measure the amount of carbon stored in the worlds forests and how it changes over time. In addition, the Biomass mission will map subsurface geology in deserts, the ice structure of ice sheets and the topography of forest floors.
ESAs Earth Explorers satellites are recognised as being among the worlds major research missions, delivering scientific insights about Earths complex systems. Forests, the Earths green lungs, absorb around 8bn tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Deforestation and degradation are causing carbon stored in forests to be released back into the atmosphere. Quantifying the global carbon cycle is essential to understanding the subsequent implications for our climate.
Biomass, manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, will spend at least five years making detailed observations and witnessing at least eight growth cycles in the worlds forests. Observations from this new mission will also lead to better insight into the rates of habitat loss and, as a result, the effect this may have on biodiversity in the forest environment.
