FLEX and Sentinel-3C being hoisted into the launch tower

Ahead of their dual launch aboard a Vega-C rocket on flight VV30, ESA’s FLEX satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite have been rolled out within the rocket fairing to the launch tower at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The two satellites are scheduled to lift off together on 15 September at 03:21 CEST (14 September at 22:21 local time).

FLEX carries the Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer, designed to detect the faint fluorescence emitted by plants as they absorb sunlight during photosynthesis. Invisible to the human eye, this subtle glow varies with plant health and environmental conditions, providing valuable insights into how vegetation functions and responds to changes in its surroundings.

Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series. Like its two predecessors already in orbit, it carries a suite of advanced instruments that systematically measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere. These observations support the monitoring and understanding of large-scale processes and dynamics across our planet, while providing essential near-real-time information for ocean and weather forecasting.

Europe’s Vega-C rocket is an evolution of the Vega family, offering increased performance, greater payload capacity and improved competitiveness. With the capability to carry up to 3300 kg into orbit, Vega-C is well suited to launching scientific and Earth observation satellites into space.