Vega-C VV30 lifted FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C from Kourou in French Guiana at 03:21 on 15 September (22:21 local on 14 September, 01:21 UTC). ESA said the European Space Operations Centre in Germany received first signals confirming both were safely released. Space.com said the 397 kilogram FLEX satellite will measure the faint fluorescence plants emit during photosynthesis; ESA says no other satellite does that from orbit. Yesterday's ESA copy still had the pair waiting in the fairing.
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VV30 left the pad at 03:21
ESA's Observing the Earth page, dated 15 September 2026, said FLEX and Sentinel-3C launched together on Vega-C from French Guiana. VV30 lifted off at 03:21 on 15 September (22:21 local on 14 September). A Vespa adapter stacked the pair; Sentinel-3C, on top, was injected first, then FLEX about an hour later. ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Germany received first signals confirming both were safely released. Controllers then begin the launch and early orbit phase.[2]
397 kilogram FLEX, fluorescence from orbit
Space.com reports that Vega-C lifted FLEX and Sentinel-3C from Europe's spaceport at Kourou on the evening of 14 September; liftoff was 01:21 GMT on 15 September. The 397 kilogram FLEX satellite will measure the faint fluorescence plants emit during photosynthesis; ESA says no other satellite does that from orbit. Sentinel-3C is the third Sentinel-3 spacecraft in the Copernicus Earth-observation series. Both are scheduled to be flying freely 116 minutes after launch at 820 kilometres, if all goes to plan.[1]
Yesterday's copy was a wait; today's is liftoff
Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes, called the launch the culmination of years of work in the FutureEO programme. ESA said FLEX will measure vegetation fluorescence from orbit. Yesterday's ESA copy still described the pair waiting in the fairing for a 15 September 03:21 CEST liftoff. The new development is that the rocket has left the pad.[2], [1]
