The Vega-C VV26 flight has successfully launched the Biomass satellite for the European Space Agency (ESA).

The rocket lifted off at 11:15 AM CEST from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. After a 57-minute flight, it deployed the satellite into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 666 km. Vega-C was propelled by the first three stages for a little over seven minutes. The AVUM+ 4th stage performed two ignitions before releasing Biomass in the target orbit. ESA successfully acquired signals from the satellite approximately 14 minutes after separation.

Biomass is the first satellite equipped with a P-band synthetic aperture radar, capable of penetrating the forest canopy to measure biomass — the woody trunks, branches, and stems where trees store the majority of their carbon. The satellite is designed to provide vital data about the condition and evolution of Earth’s forests, enhancing our understanding of their role in the global carbon cycle.