The ESA’s biomass satellites publish the first view of the earth from orbit (photos)

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Vienna, Austria – an exclamation of awe, excitement and cheers broke out today at the Living Planet Symposium from ESA as a striking new window in the forests of the earth, deserts and glaciers that were opened with the publication of the first pictures from Esa’s biomass satellites.

On the Living Planet Symposium 2025 in Vienna, the pictures mark an important milestone for our understanding of how earth stores carbon – and how climate change changes ecosystems.

Just two months after the start, ESA’s biomass mission already offers its promise and offers an insight into the potential of its new radar system. Although the mission is still in the commissioning phase, the early images already show the skills of the satellite.

“These first pictures are almost spectacular – and they are just a look at what will come,” said Michael Fehringer, Esa’s Biomass project manager in an explanation. “Like routine, we are still in the commissioning phase and act to ensure that scientists provide the highest quality data to determine exactly how much carbon is stored in the woods of the world.”

The managers of the ESA are already worth the efforts of the many scientists behind the program. “It was extremely emotional because it was the work of hundreds of people,” said Simonetta Cheli, Simonetta Cheli, ESA director for Earth observation programs, in an interview to Space.com. “It is very symbolic of the effort behind the scenes and the potential that this mission has.”

Biomass first pictures

Bolivia – tropical forests and the Beni River

This first picture captures a lively region of Bolivia in which rainforest hits river flood plans. Bolivia has suffered significant deforestation, mainly due to agricultural expansion. In the picture, different colors show different ecosystems: green for rainforest, red for forested wetlands and floodplain and floodplain for grassland. The dark snake line of the Beni River-free fluid and uncomfortable cut through the landscape.

“It shows the beauty of our earth and what we can do to protect them,” said Cheli in a press conference after the Biomasse image release on the Living Planet Symposium, Vienna.

Bolivia biomass against Sentinel-2 comparison

This paired picture shows the same Bolivian landscape of biomass and Copernicus Sentinel-2. Although they may seem visually similar, only biomass with its penetrating P-band radar catches the full vertical forest structure under the canopy. This makes it much more effective when measuring forest biomass and carbon content. While Sentinel-2 is limited to surface characteristics, Biomass unlocks a 3D view of forests, which are of crucial importance for precise carbon balancing.

Brazil – north on the Amazon rainforest

This striking view of Northern Brazil was the first picture that was returned by biomass. The radar of the satellite shows subtle differences between the terrain and vegetation in the Amazon rainforest. Red and pink tones indicate forested wetlands and flows, especially along rivers, while the green regions represent dense forests and more robust topography in the north. The picture indicates the potential of biomass to monitor the health and structure of the forests in remote, ecologically critical areas of the Amazon basin.

Indonesia – Halmaheras volcanic rainforests

This picture shows the mountainous Halmaher -Regenwald in Indonesia and shows a complex topography that is characterized by volcanic forces. Mount Gamkonora, still active, is visible near the north coast. Despite the dense vegetation, the radar from biomass can penetrate the canopy to expose the contours of volcanoes and the surrounding forest floor. It is a striking example of the power of the satellite to map both biomass and terrain, which is crucial for understanding landscape dynamics tectonic and volcanic active regions.

Gabon – forests and the Ivindo River

In this picture, biomass looks into the heart of the Africa Congo basin and catches up Gabons dense forests and the winding Ivindo River, an ecological lifeline. The river and its tributaries appear clearly against a rich green background, which represents an unbroken rainforest.

Chad – Sahara desert structure

Here, biomass shows hidden structures under the sand of the Sahara in northern Chad, including parts of the Testi -Mountains. Its P-band radar can penetrate up to five meters below the desert surface and expose the shapes of the old river bed and geological formations that have been buried for a long time under dry terrain. This ability opens up new borders in paleoclim research and in the groundwater area, especially in extreme environments, which were once considered too opaque for remote sensing.

Antarctic – Nimrod glacier and transantarctic mountains

The final picture shows the frozen landscape of Antarctica, in which the Nimrod glacier flows into the Ross ice rack next to the tranantantarctic mountains. The radar of biomass can penetrate the ice, which indicates its ability to pursue internal ice structures and river speeds. In contrast to radar missions with a shorter wavelength, biomass can unlock important data on the dynamics and stability of the ice mushrooms, which is of crucial importance for the understanding of the future increase in sea levels in a warming world.

Although these early results are not yet calibrated for the scientific analysis, they confirm that biomass is on the right track and may be exceeded.

With a mission that is supposed to exceed for five years, biomass will provide a consistent, global reporting on the forested regions of the earth and contribute important data for climate models, maintenance efforts and carbon accounting. While the satellite is transferring into full operating mode, scientists eagerly expect the data records that could monitor and protect the lifesties of our planet.