See Incredible First Images From Space Mission That Will Weigh All The World’s Forests

How much does a forest weigh? This sounds like a philosophical question, but we will be able to answer it soon thanks to the European Space Agency’s Biomass spacecraft. The mission possesses a special radar that can map woodland areas from space. Now, it has released its first-ever images, and they cover more than just forests.

The first images cover areas of Bolivia, Brazil, Indonesia, Gabon, as well as the desert in Chad and glaciers in Antarctica. Biomass is equipped with a radar that allows it to penetrate the canopy of dense forests to measure the wood structures underneath, with the new images showcasing that it can also map lower vegetation, the presence of wetlands (like the red and pink hues in the image from Bolivia, Brazil, and Gabon), and get down all the way to the forest floor.

“As is routine, we’re still in the commissioning phase, fine-tuning the satellite to ensure it delivers the highest quality data for scientists to accurately determine how much carbon is stored in the world’s forests,” ESA’s Biomass Project Manager, Michael Fehringer, said in a statement.

“Biomass is equipped with novel space technology, so we’ve been closely monitoring its performance in orbit, and we’re very pleased to report that everything is functioning smoothly and its first images are nothing short of spectacular – and they’re only a mere glimpse of what is still to come.”

But it is not just forests that Biomass can detect. The radar system is so good that it can see under up to 5 meters (16.4 feet) of dry sand, as the images from the Sahara in Chad demonstrate, revealing where ancient riverbeds used to flow from the Tibesti Mountains before the desert expanded. It also reveals that it can penetrate the ice of glaciers, providing valuable information about the movement of the ice. Not bad, for a mission whose focus is forests and vegetation. 

“Looking at these first images, it’s clear to see that our Earth Explorer Biomass satellite is set to deliver on its promise,” ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, added.

“We fully expect that this new mission will provide a groundbreaking leap in our ability to understand Earth's forests – combining cutting-edge radar technology with the scientific excellence that will unlock vital insights into carbon storage, climate change, and the health of our planet’s precious forest ecosystems.”

Biomass is expected to operate for at least five years and to dramatically expand our understanding of carbon storage and the health of forests, as well as how these are changing over time.