Biomass

Mission

Biomass on Vega-C. Tue 29 Apr 2025, 09:15:52 UTC. Reported outcome: Success. Launch site: Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV). Source: Launch Library 2.

Biomass is an European Space Agency mission designed to measure the density of carbon stored in the world's forests. The spacecraft, built by Airbus Defence and Space, features the first civilian P-band synthetic aperture radar as well as a 12m-diameter deployable reflector from L3Harris made of over 900 km of gold-coated molybdenum 25µm wire. With a minimum operational lifetime of 5 years in its 666km 6am/6pm sun-synchronous orbit, the global coverage achieved every 9 months allows to precisely monitor the evolution of forests over time.

Mission type

Earth Science

Orbit

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Launch timeline

Times are relative to liftoff.

1. T-0Tue 29 Apr, 11:15 CEST

   Liftoff

   First upwards movement of the rocket

2. T+2 min 25 sTue 29 Apr, 11:18 CEST

   Stage 2 Separation

   Separation of the second stage from the first

3. T+4 min 31 sTue 29 Apr, 11:20 CEST

   Stage 3 Separation

   Separation of the third stage from the second

4. T+4 min 43 sTue 29 Apr, 11:20 CEST

   Fairing Separation

   Separation of the payload fairing

5. T+7 min 10 sTue 29 Apr, 11:23 CEST

   Kick Stage Separation

   Separation of the kick stage from the previous stage

6. T+8 minTue 29 Apr, 11:23 CEST

   Kick Stage Burn

   The kick stage conducts an engine burn in orbit.

7. T+53 minTue 29 Apr, 12:08 CEST

   Kick Stage Burn

   The kick stage conducts an engine burn in orbit.

8. T+57 minTue 29 Apr, 12:12 CEST

   Payload Separation

   Final deployment of the payload from the rocket

9. T+1 h 46 minTue 29 Apr, 13:01 CEST

   Kick Stage Burn

   The kick stage conducts an engine burn in orbit.

Slip history

Changes recorded by Space Right Now

No changes since we started tracking on Sat 10 Oct 2026, 11:14 UTC.

Launch pad

Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana (GF)

Coordinates: 5.236, -52.775