New satellites track climate and plant health

September 16, 2026

Europe has expanded its Earth observation capabilities with the successful launch of two new satellites designed to monitor vegetation, oceans, land, ice and the atmosphere.

The FLEX and Sentinel-3C satellites were carried into orbit aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch marks an important step in improving scientists’ understanding of Earth’s ecosystems and how they are being affected by a changing climate.

Known as mission VV30, the launch will provide researchers with new sources of environmental data, ranging from plant photosynthesis and water stress to ocean conditions and atmospheric changes.

FLEX will observe photosynthesis from space

The Fluorescence Explorer, or FLEX, is focused on one of the most fundamental biological processes on Earth: photosynthesis.

Its primary objective is to investigate how vegetation functions and how plants react to environmental pressures such as drought, extreme temperatures and water shortages.

During photosynthesis, plants release an extremely weak glow known as solar-induced fluorescence. Although this signal is invisible to the human eye, specialized satellite instruments can detect it.

By measuring this fluorescence from orbit, FLEX will provide scientists with valuable information about plant activity and health. Changes in the signal can indicate when vegetation is experiencing environmental stress, potentially allowing researchers to identify problems before they become visible through conventional satellite imagery.

FLEX is expected to generate detailed maps of vegetation activity at a spatial resolution of approximately 300 by 300 metres. The satellite's planned operational lifetime is at least three and a half years.

New data could improve climate research

Understanding how plants respond to heat, drought and other environmental pressures is increasingly important as climate change alters ecosystems around the world.

Vegetation plays a major role in the global carbon cycle by absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. More precise measurements of plant activity could therefore help researchers improve climate models and better understand interactions between ecosystems and the atmosphere.

The FLEX mission also has significant involvement from Spain. José Moreno, a professor at the University of Valencia and principal investigator for FLEX, leads the mission's scientific team. Spain has played an important role in the development of the European Space Agency project.

Sentinel-3C expands Europe's earth observation network

FLEX was launched alongside Sentinel-3C, the latest spacecraft in the Sentinel-3 series operated as part of Europe's Copernicus Earth observation programme.

Sentinel-3C is designed to continuously collect information about the oceans, Earth's land surface, ice and atmosphere. Its observations will support environmental monitoring, climate research and weather forecasting.

The satellite joins Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B, extending the continuity of a mission that has been gathering environmental observations for years.

Sentinel-3C is expected to eventually replace Sentinel-3A, which has been operating since 2016.

Combining satellite data for a broader view

Although FLEX and Sentinel-3C travelled aboard the same Vega-C rocket, the satellites will initially operate in different orbital configurations.

Scientists will ultimately be able to combine observations from the two missions. FLEX's measurements of photosynthetic activity can be compared with complementary environmental information collected by Sentinel-3 satellites.

Together, these datasets could provide a more detailed picture of how vegetation reacts to changing temperatures, water availability and other environmental conditions.

The launch strengthens Europe's growing network of Earth observation satellites and gives researchers new tools to monitor ecosystem health and track the environmental impacts of climate change from space.I can also prepare the SEO title, meta description, and a ≤50-character headline for this article.