The European Space Agency 's (ESA) Biomass spacecraft lifted off atop a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Tuesday at 5:15 a.m. EDT (0915 GMT; 6:15 a.m. local time in Korea). Arianespace's stream began at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT), and the launch can now be watched on demand.

Earth's forests, vital for climate regulation, face threats from deforestation and degradation. To address this, ESA launched the Biomass satellite on

Using a new radar technique, Biomass can 'see' through clouds and tree canopies down to the forest floor, where most biomass—and therefore carbon—is concentrated.