Weighing the World’s Trees: ESA Launches Biomass Satellite
A New Era in Forest Monitoring
A revolutionary new satellite from the European Space Agency is now orbiting Earth with a single mission: to “weigh” the world’s trees. Why does this matter? For Go Balance and our Trocano Araretama project, it could enhance our already advanced and accurate data layers.
Earlier this month, the ESA launched a first-of-its-kind satellite, affectionately called the “space brolly,” equipped with a 12-metre radar antenna designed to look beneath the forest canopy. As reported by the BBC, the satellite uses a special long-wavelength P-band radar system that can detect trunks and branches hidden from traditional satellite imagery. These woody structures are key to understanding how much carbon is stored in a forest — and how much is being lost due to deforestation.
What the Satellite Does
- Maps woody biomass (branches, trunks) — where most forest carbon is stored
- Sees through cloud cover, offering consistent year-round images
- Uses radar “slices” like a CT scan to build up 3D pictures of forest mass
- Will produce annual maps of forest carbon storage over a five-year mission
Why This Matters to Go Balance
At Go Balance, we already use best available, open source advanced satellite data — including NASA JPL, ESA and MapBiomas carbon maps — to measure and monitor forest carbon stocks in the Trocano Araretama Project, our J-REDD+ project in the Brazilian Amazon.
The new Biomass satellite will take that capability to the next level. It means:
- Even more precise and transparent carbon quantification
- Fewer gaps caused by clouds — a constant challenge in the tropics – which negates our 9% allowance for undetected deforestation
- Even stronger underlying carbon data for the quantification for our Natural Capital Credits
This launch comes at a time when trust and rigour are paramount in the voluntary carbon market. With greater measurement consistency across continents, the satellite will support credible climate finance and make it easier to compare forest-based projects globally.
A Big Win for Forests and Climate
The team behind the Biomass satellite has spent over 20 years developing this technology. For us, it represents more than just scientific progress — it’s a step toward better protecting the world’s most vital ecosystems with the best data available.
We’re excited to follow the progress of this new source of insight and how it continues to raise the bar for integrity in nature-based climate solutions.