Two European Earth Observation Satellites in Orbit

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

The European Vega-C rocket, carrying the Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites, launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at 22:21 on Monday (01:21 GMT on Tuesday), according to a France Press reporter at the site.

The two satellites were placed into a sun-synchronous orbit about two hours after liftoff.

Flex (Fluorescence Explorer) will provide data on the impacts of heatwaves on vegetation. It will monitor fluorescence, the red light emitted by plants as part of photosynthesis, during which they absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into energy for growth using water and light, releasing oxygen into the air.

Simone Silvestri, Director of Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Agency, speaking from Kourou, said such missions are “essential” to help tackle the “climate change we are witnessing.”