FLEX
ESA · Earth, sun-synchronous orbit
A new global view of vegetation through the faint fluorescence emitted during photosynthesis.
At a glance
- Phase
- commissioning
- Operator
- ESA
- Destination
- Earth, sun-synchronous orbit
- Next milestone
- Launch and early orbit phase checks over the coming days, followed by commissioning
- Last verified
- 15 September 2026
Where it stands
Launched on Vega-C flight VV30 on 15 September 2026 at 01:21 UTC (03:21 CEST); deployed from the Vespa adapter about an hour after Sentinel-3C, and ESA's operations centre received first signal from both.
The mission
The Fluorescence Explorer will measure plant fluorescence to study vegetation activity and environmental stress. ESA targets global maps at 300-metre resolution from 814 km altitude.
Latest reporting
Related
Sources
- esa.int · https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FLEX_and_Sentinel-3C_launched
- esa.int · https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FLEX_and_Sentinel-3C_ready_for_liftoff_on_Vega-C
- emarketstorage.it · https://www.emarketstorage.it/sites/default/files/comunicati/2026-07/20260730_187461.pdf