Q. With reference to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Biomass Mission, consider the following statements: - The mission will be the first to globally map forest biomass using a P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
- It aims to measure the carbon stored in forest vegetation and soil from space.
- The satellite will be launched into a geostationary orbit to allow continuous monitoring of the same area.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer:
Only 1 and 2
Notes: Statement 1 is correct. The Biomass mission will be the first in space to use long-wave P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to map forest biomass. Statement 2 is also correct as it aims to measure how much carbon is stored in forests (both in soil and vegetation), which is crucial for understanding the carbon cycle. Statement 3 is incorrect because the satellite will be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit, not a geostationary orbit, to ensure consistent lighting conditions for Earth observation.