Vega-C | Biomass
Vega-C launched the Biomass mission for Arianespace from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on Apr 29, 2025 (UTC).
Launch pad
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) · Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Vega-C | Biomass
Launched Apr 29, 2025 6:15:52 PMSuccess
1 object in orbit now
Flight direction
352° N
measured from the launched orbit · inclination 98.1°
Flight path
First-stage drop zone (rough estimate)
Drawn 400–700 km downrange along the flight direction. Official hazard areas are published as NOTAMs and navigational warnings.
About the mission
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 description from Launch Library 2.
Objects from this launch still in orbit
- Launch time (your time zone)
- Tue, Apr 29 · 6:15:52 PM
- Status
- Success
- Launch provider
- Arianespace
- Rocket
- Vega-C
- Mission type
- Earth Science
- Target orbit
- SSO
- Launch pad
- Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) · Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana