On 4 September 2026, media representatives joined an online briefing ahead of the launch of ESA’s FLEX and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellites.

The two satellites are scheduled to launch together aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 15 September at 03:21 CEST (14 September at 22:21 local time).

This video is a recording of the English briefing.

FLEX is equipped with the Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer that will detect the faint fluorescence plants emit as they absorb sunlight during photosynthesis. Although invisible to the human eye, this subtle glow varies with plant health and environmental conditions.

In fact, the FLEX satellite will orbit in tandem with a Sentinel-3 satellite, which will be used to provide information on clouds, aerosols and water vapour as well as information about the land surface, such as the surface temperature, type of land cover and additional vegetation parameters. This integrated package of near-simultaneous measurements will provide an unprecedented view of global vegetation function and status.

Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series. Like its two older siblings in orbit, Sentinel-3C carries a suite of cutting-edge instruments that measure systematically Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics. It provides essential information in near-real time for ocean and weather forecasting.

Europe’s Vega-C rocket is an evolution of the Vega rocket family, offering greater performance, larger payload capacity and improved competitiveness. It can launch up to 3300 kg into space, ideal for carrying small scientific and Earth observation satellites into orbit.