ESA’s photosynthesis mission

Using cutting-edge technology, ESA’s FLEX mission is designed to reveal new insights into how plants function by measuring the faint fluorescence they emit during photosynthesis. Although invisible to the human eye, this signal changes with environmental conditions and plant health – allowing scientists to assess vegetation stress.

The FLEX satellite is equipped with the Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer (FLORIS), an instrument designed specifically to detect and map this delicate glow.

By capturing these data, FLEX deepens our understanding of how carbon moves between plants and the atmosphere, and how photosynthesis influences both the carbon and water cycles. The mission also provides valuable information on plant health – a critical contribution at a time when a growing global population is putting increasing pressure on food and feed production.