‘Space umbrella’ returns first striking images of Earth’s forests

A giant umbrella-like satellite fitted with European tech has revealed its first images of Earth’s surface.

The probe, called “Biomass,” was built by a host of aerospace giants and startups for the European Space Agency (ESA). It launched in April on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. European Astrotech, a UK-based startup, was responsible for fuelling the satellite ahead of takeoff.

Biomass’ mission is to capture the most detailed measurements of forest carbon ever recorded from space. To get the job done, it’s been equipped with the first-ever P-band radar to enter orbit. It aims to deepen our understanding of changes in the Earth’s forests — and the impact on the global carbon cycle.

Built by Airbus, this type of radar instrument uses long wavelengths that can slice through thick canopies to reach the woody structures underneath, where most of a forest’s carbon is stored. 

Beyond forests, the probe can also map subsurface geology in deserts, the structure of ice sheets, and forest floor topography.

Biomass circles Earth in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of around 666 kilometres. It transmits raw radar data from its P-band instrument to ESA’s Kiruna ground station in Sweden, where the information is received and sent to processing facilities. There, the data is calibrated and transformed into usable scientific products such as biomass density maps and forest height models. 

Once processed, these datasets are made accessible through a Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP), designed by Belgian tech firm Spacebel. The MAAP enables scientists worldwide to search, access, and analyse Biomass data directly in the cloud without needing to download massive files or manage complex infrastructure.

The giant umbrella’s job is to direct radar pulses from the P-band radar instrument mounted on the satellite’s body down to the forests below. When the radar signals hit Earth’s surface, they bounce back. 

The umbrella-shaped antenna, built by US space firm L3Harris, catches the returning signals and redirects them to the satellite. From there, the onboard systems process the data to create detailed 3D maps of global biomass and other features in the landscape.  

Michael Fehringer, ESA’s project manager for Biomass, said the satellite was still in its commissioning phase — the period of testing and calibration after launch. He expects to gather even better data over time. 

“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.”