Conclusion first: The European Vega-C launch of VV30 has placed FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C into orbit, and the ground stations have already received the first signals from both satellites.
Liftoff is scheduled for 03:21 CEST on September 15, 2026 (22:21 on September 14 in French Guiana). Inside the fairing, a Vespa adapter is used to stack the two satellites: Sentinel-3C is released first, and then FLEX follows about an hour later. ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, confirmed that both satellites were safely released and established communication; over the next few days, the mission will enter the launch and early orbit phase (LEOP), conducting step-by-step checks of system health.
FLEX is ESA’s FutureEO Earth observation satellite. It is designed to measure the extremely faint fluorescence emitted by plants during photosynthesis, using it to assess vegetation stress and the carbon and water cycles. Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series, continuing to monitor oceans, land, ice, and the atmosphere, providing near-real-time data for weather forecasting and climate monitoring. In terms of operations, FLEX is handled by ESA; after in-orbit testing, routine operations of Sentinel-3C will be taken over by EUMETSAT.
The image shows an official ESA post-launch photo (ESA–S. Corvaja), not the one with the launcher sitting on the standby pads.
#航天 #Earth observation
Liftoff is scheduled for 03:21 CEST on September 15, 2026 (22:21 on September 14 in French Guiana). Inside the fairing, a Vespa adapter is used to stack the two satellites: Sentinel-3C is released first, and then FLEX follows about an hour later. ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, confirmed that both satellites were safely released and established communication; over the next few days, the mission will enter the launch and early orbit phase (LEOP), conducting step-by-step checks of system health.
FLEX is ESA’s FutureEO Earth observation satellite. It is designed to measure the extremely faint fluorescence emitted by plants during photosynthesis, using it to assess vegetation stress and the carbon and water cycles. Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series, continuing to monitor oceans, land, ice, and the atmosphere, providing near-real-time data for weather forecasting and climate monitoring. In terms of operations, FLEX is handled by ESA; after in-orbit testing, routine operations of Sentinel-3C will be taken over by EUMETSAT.
The image shows an official ESA post-launch photo (ESA–S. Corvaja), not the one with the launcher sitting on the standby pads.
#航天 #Earth observation
