Monitoring Earth’s Forests 

May 16, 2025 

• The European Space Agency (ESA) launched a satellite mission called the ‘Biomass Mission’ that aims to study the world’s forests and how they affect the carbon cycle. 
• The satellite, launched on April 29 from French Guiana, is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that will help assess the Earth and provide insights into forests. 
• As forests help in carbon storage, this project will help researchers understand the levels of carbon stored in forests and the impact of deforestation on these levels. 
• The satellite will be placed in low Earth orbit and will also help to monitor Antarctica’s ice sheets.