Europe places two satellites in orbit to monitor weather phenomena

European Space Agency officials said the agency successfully placed two satellites into orbit, designed to improve the monitoring of extreme weather phenomena linked to climate change.

According to the French news agency AFP, the European Vega-C rocket carrying the Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites launched from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana early yesterday. The two satellites were placed into a sun-synchronous orbit approximately two hours after liftoff. Flex (Fluorescence Explorer) will provide data on the impact of heatwaves on vegetation.

The second satellite, Sentinel-3C, part of the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program, will measure marine environmental characteristics, including sea surface temperatures, wave heights, and ocean currents, as well as land use and land cover, with the aim of improving agricultural productivity and helping to prevent food crises.