It will follow Earth’s vegetation like never before, revealing new details about the species that together carry four-fifths of the planet’s living carbon.
The European Space Agency has announced the launch of a biomass satellite into Earth orbit. The mission is scheduled to launch in early 2024. The device will monitor Earth’s forests in unprecedented detail, writes Inverse.
The satellite consists of a 40-foot-wide reflector suspended from a boom above its rectangular body – the whole of which is like a giant umbrella protecting our planet.
This design helps Biomass detect with a low-frequency form of radar called P-band, which penetrates foliage but bounces off denser materials like wood. Using this technology, scientists can get an unprecedented look at Earth’s shrinking forests.
“When you look at the top of a tropical forest with an optical instrument from space, all you see is leaves and nothing else. But the biomass mission doesn’t care about leaves. It can penetrate the ground, it is very sensitive to reflection from large trunks and trunks of trees. Biomass will orbit just over 400 miles above Earth and photograph the entire planet for 228 days. The mission is expected to last of five years, and scientists will be able to compare Earth’s biomass data from year to year. The data obtained will create more accurate climate models, as well as a better understanding of how plants are woven together in Earth’s biosphere,” said Michael Feringer, program manager for the Biomass mission.
Recall that on Friday, August 12, the International Space Station team launched the Moldovan satellite TUMnanoSAT into space.
China launches Earth remote sensing satellite
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Source: korrespondent
