# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DJCY0pls48C
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35582164-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/7dec0ff7bd.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-29T16:32:38.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

And lift off for Biomass! 🚀 

Our Biomass satellite has successfully launched, marking a major leap forward in understanding Earth’s forests and their vital role in the carbon cycle.

Lifted off on 29 April 2025 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana aboard Vega-C, Biomass is now in orbit and sending back its first signals. 

Over the next few days, our mission controllers will carefully deploy Biomass’ enormous 12-metre-wide reflector, the key to its unique abilities. 

Why Biomass matters: 
- Forests are often called Earth’s “green lungs” – absorbing around 8 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year. But deforestation and land-use changes are putting that critical service at risk. 
- Equipped with the first-ever P-band radar in space, Biomass will ‘see’ through forest canopies to measure the woody biomass – trunks, branches and stems – where carbon is stored. 
- This data will fill crucial gaps in our knowledge of how much carbon forests hold, how they are changing, and how this impacts our climate. 
- Beyond forests, Biomass will even help map desert geology, ice sheet structures and more! 

Congratulations to everyone who made this extraordinary mission a reality – especially the 50+ companies led by airbus_space UK, and our launch partners with Vega-C. 

Follow esa_earth and stay tuned as Biomass begins its incredible journey of discovery! 

📹 Arianespace 
📸 europeanspaceagency - S.Corvaja 
📹 ESA - m.pedoussautphotos /Zetapress 
📹 ESA - M. Pédoussaut/Zetapress 
📸 ESA - M. Pédoussaut/Zetapress

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 11,568
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 66

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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