FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C (VV30)

The payload

ESA's vegetation-fluorescence research satellite and the third Copernicus Sentinel-3 environmental monitoring spacecraft, launched successfully on 15 September 2026 at 01:21 UTC, which ESA's pages give as 03:21 CEST and 22:21 local time at Kourou on the 14th. ESA's launch report records Sentinel-3C injected into orbit first and FLEX deployed from the Vespa adapter about an hour later, with ESA's operations centre receiving the first signal from each satellite.

Status history

1. 15 Sep 2026Schedule verified against ESA readiness update of 14 September and Avio announcement. Launch outcome awaits a primary-source confirmation.
2. 15 Sep 2026Launched: ESA's own report confirms VV30 lifted off at 01:21 UTC. ESA's pages state the clock as 03:21 with no timezone label, its Central European convention, and 22:21 local at Kourou on the 14th; both resolve to 01:21 UTC, the scheduled time, so the flight went on time. Sentinel-3C deployed first, FLEX about an hour later from the Vespa adapter, and ESOC received first signal from both.

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