BIOMASS

An animated film exploring the science behind the European Space Agency (ESA) Biomass mission, which launched on Tuesday 29 April 2025 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. 

The Biomass satellite uses revolutionary radar technology that will create a 3D map of the world’s forests in order to improve our understanding of how carbon is cycled through the Earth system.

The idea for Biomass was conceived by Professor Shaun Quegan from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sheffield, and Dr Thuy Le Toan from the Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphère in Toulouse. Professor Quegan led a team of international scientists who worked with the ESA to develop the mission.

• Read Professor Shaun Quegan's article on the ESA Biomass mission in Astronomy & Geophysics: Weighing forests from space 
• For the latest news on the mission, visit the ESA Biomass hub