Satellite data will boost CSIRO’s Earth monitoring role

Australia’s top science institute has signed a deal with the European Space Agency to share satellite data that will help improve crop management and map vegetation changes.

Under the agreement, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation will receive access to large datasets, including those collected by the ESA’s Biomass Earth Explorer mission.

The mission will be launched in 2020, and will use microwave technology to map the status of tropical forests, including forest loss and disturbance. It will also monitor the Earth’s ionosphere, glaciers and ice sheets, providing new data on climate change impacts.