The European Space Agency’s Biomass satellite may be up to the job. The upcoming mission, which is planned to launch in early 2024, will monitor Earth’s forests in unprecedented detail. The satellite consists of a 40-foot-wide reflector suspended on a boom over its rectangular body — the whole thing looks like a ginormous umbrella shielding our planet. This design helps Biomass see using a low-frequency form of radar called the P-band that penetrates through leaves, but bounces off of materials that are denser, like wood. With this technology, scientists can take an unprecedented glimpse at the Earth’s dwindling forests.
