ESA’s Biomass satellite releases 1st views of Earth from orbit (photos)
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A picture of the satellite of the ESA biomass, shown at the Live Planet Symposium in ESA. | Credit: Esa
Vienna, Austria – An exclamation mark broke out of dread, excitement and chants today at the Song Planet Seminar in ESA as an amazing new window in the earth’s forests, deserts and ice rivers that were opened with the release of the first images of the vital mass satellite in ESA.
It was unveiled at the Vie Vienna Vienna 2025 symposium, the images represent a major milestone in our understanding of how the carbon Earth is stored – and how Climate It is the transformation of ecosystems.
Just two months after launch, ESA’s biomus’ task already meets its promise, providing a glimpse of the capabilities of the new radar system. Although the task is still in its assignment stage, the early images already show the satellite capabilities.
” statement. “As is routine, we are still in the commissioning stage, and we put the satellite to ensure the availability of the highest quality data for scientists to determine the amount of carbon stored accurately in the forests of the world.”
ESA leaders already build the efforts of many scientists behind the program. “He was very emotional because he was the work of hundreds of people,” Simonita Chili, Simonita Celly, Director of Earth Monitoring Programs, told Space.com in an interview. “It is very symbolic of the effort behind the scenes and the potentials of this task.”
It was taken at the Live Planet Symposium in ESA, Vienna, Austria. On the stage, Simonita Celly, Director of Earth Monitoring Programs at the European Space Agency, Claus Skepal, Director of the Biocyle and Michael Verneger, director of the biomass project. | Credit
Pictures of the first biomass
Bolivia – tropical forests and Bani River
A picture of the Bolivian landscape Credit: Esa
This first image takes a vibrant area from Bolivia, where rainforests meet the plains of the river floods. Bolivia has suffered the removal of large forests, primarily due to agricultural expansion. In the picture, different colors are highlighted by distinctive environmental systems: green of rainforests, red for wet lands forests, flood plains, and blue purple of herbal lands. The dark line of the Bani River is penetrated by the heat and the non-submerged-through the landscape.
“It shows our beauty land Chile told a news conference after the issue of the vital bloc at the Vienna Slide Symposium, that what we can do to protect it.
Bolivia-comparison between biomass
A comparison between two Bolivian landscapes Credit: Esa
In this associated image, the same Bolivian scene appears as the biomass sees and Copernicus Sentinel-2. Although it may look visually similar, only the biomass, with hacked P-PAND radar, captures the entire vertical forest structure below the canopy. This makes it more effective in measuring the biomass of forests and carbon content. While Sentinel-2 is limited to the surface features, the biomass opens a 3D vibrant width for micro-carbon accounting.
Brazil – Northern Amazon forests
A satellite image looks through the thick forest Credit: Esa
This amazing view of northern Brazil was the first image to be returned by the biomass. The satellite radar reveals hidden differences in the cover in the rainforest in the Amazon. Red and pink tones refer to wetlands and forests, especially along the rivers, while green areas depict the dense forests and more rugged terrain in the north. The image alludes to the vital mass capabilities to monitor the health of forests and its structure across the remote and environmental areas in the Amazon basin.
Indonesia – Halmhaira Percentage Forests
A satellite image on Indonesia Credit: Esa
This image is characterized by the mountain Halmaharaa forestry in Indonesia, which reveals the complex terrain posed by volcanic powers. Gamkonora Mountain, which is still active, visible near the northern coast. Despite the dense vegetation, the vital mass radar can penetrate the umbrella to expose the volcanoes and the surrounding forest floor. It is a great example of the satellite power in appointing both biomass and terrain, which is very important to understand the dynamics of the landscape of the active areas naturally and voluntary.
Gabon – Forests and Evando River
Landscape view of Gabon Credit: Esa
In this picture, the peers of the biomus in the heart of the Congo basin in Africa, the seizure of the dense gabon forests and the winding Evando river, which is an environmental lifeblood. The river and its tributaries appear clearly against a rich green background representing uninterrupted rainforests.
Chad – Desert Desert Temple
Desert satellite view in Chad Credit: Esa
Here, the biomass reveals hidden structures under the desert sand in northern Chad, including parts of the Tabst Mountains. The P-Pand radar can penetrate up to five meters below the desert surface, which displays the forms of the old river course and geological formations buried for a long time under arid terrain. This ability opens new boundaries in old research and drawing groundwater maps, especially in harsh environments that are once very transparent for remote sensing.
Antarctica – Icelerod and translation mountains
A satellite view of the ice Nimrod Credit: Esa
The final image displays the frozen landscape in Antarctica, where Nimrod ice is flowing to a Russian ice shelf alongside the translation mountains. The radar of the biomus can see in the ice, hinting on its ability to track internal ice structures and flow speeds. Unlike radar tasks shorter wavelength, the biomass may open the main data about the dynamics of the ice cover and stability, which is a task to understand sea level rise in the world of warming.
Although these early results have not yet been paid to scientific analysis, they confirm that the vital bloc is on the right path to fulfillment – and perhaps exceeding them – its ambitious goals.
Through a five -year designer mission, biomass will provide fixed global coverage of forest areas on Earth, and contribute to the vital data of climate models, preservation and carbon accounting. With satellites moving to a full operational situation, scientists impatiently expect data sets that can transform how to monitor – and protect them – the live lungs of our planet.