FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch highlights
ESA launched the FLEX and Sentinel-3C satellites aboard Vega-C from French Guiana to study plant fluorescence and Earth’s dynamics, enhancing global environmental monitoring.
ESA’s FLEX satellite and Copernicus Sentinel-3C lifted off together on Vega-C’s VV30 mission from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The launch occurred at 03:21 UTC on 15 September, following local time at 22:21 on 14 September. This marks the first dual payload deployment for Vega-C using the Vespa adapter, enabling simultaneous deployment of both satellites into orbit.
FLEX carries a Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer to detect faint plant fluorescence during photosynthesis, an invisible process to the human eye. The satellite will measure this signal globally to assess photosynthetic activity and vegetation stress, providing critical data on plant health and environmental conditions.
Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series, continuing its mission to systematically monitor Earth’s oceans, land, ice, and atmosphere. The satellite’s instruments support large-scale global dynamics studies and provide near-real-time data for ocean and weather forecasting.
Vega-C, standing 35 meters tall and weighing 210 tonnes at launch, deployed the satellites using a three-stage solid-propellant sequence followed by a liquid-propellant stage. The rocket’s Vespa adapter facilitated the dual launch, placing Sentinel-3C on top and FLEX below before deploying both into their designated orbits.