Launch of Europe's FLEX and Sentinel-3C Earth Satellites on Vega-C Rocket
The European Space Agency's FLEX Earth Explorer satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite have been launched together aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on the northern coast of South America, as part of Europe’s Earth Observation Programs. Flight VV30 lifted off on September 15, 2026 at 03:21 (14 September at 22:21 local time).
FLEX is designed to reveal a phenomenon invisible to the human eye—the faint fluorescence emitted by plants as they photosynthesize. Equipped with a Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer, FLEX will detect and measure this incredibly weak signal from orbit. Because the fluorescence varies with plant health and environmental conditions, the measurements will provide scientists with new information about photosynthetic activity and vegetation stress on a global scale.
Sentinel-3C is the third in the Sentinel-3 series. Copernicus Sentinel-3C will continue the mission’s task of measuring systematically Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics. The mission also provides essential information in near-real time for ocean and weather forecasting.
Europe’s Vega-C rocket can launch 2,300 kg into space, such as small scientific and Earth observation spacecraft. At 35 meters tall, Vega-C weighs 210 tons on the launch pad and reaches orbit with three solid-propellant-powered stages before the fourth liquid-propellant stage takes over for precise placement of satellites into their desired orbit around Earth.
This flight is a first dual launch for Vega-C, using a secondary payload adapter called Vespa. Sentinel-3C is placed on top of Vespa inside the main fairing and once deployed the Vespa adapter opens to reveal FLEX for its injection into orbit.
The European Space Agency's Copernicus Earth Observation Program:
https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/copernicus/
Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2026
