The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Earth Observation Programme Board has given the green light ahead for a new mission that will measure global forest biomass.
The satellite, called BIOMASS, will launch in 2020 and will carry a novel radar system that is able to sense the height and density of trees and forests.
Volker Liebig, ESA’s director of Earth observation, said: “The Earth Observation Programme Board gave its full approval to the selection of BIOMASS, but has also requested that ESA ensure the best value for money to Member States by confirming implementation of the mission when the full industrial proposal is available.”
BIOMASS will produce the first accurate maps of tropical, temperate and boreal forest biomass from space.
The maps will help scientists address fundamental questions about changes in forest structure, especially in tropical regions, where ground data is scarce.
They will also help put a figure on the carbon emissions resulting from deforestation and land-use change.
The BIOMASS mission is hoping to contribute to the United Nations REDD Programme – an international effort to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.
