ESA launches two satellites for climate observation
The European Space Agency launched the Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The Vega-C launch vehicle lifted off at 22:21 on Monday, and both spacecraft entered a sun-synchronous orbit within two hours of launch, Deutsche Welle English reports.
Monitoring plant conditions
The Flex satellite, or Fluorescence Explorer, will track the faint fluorescent radiation emitted by plants during photosynthesis. These measurements are expected to provide data on the impact of heat waves on vegetation and show how efficiently it converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy.
According to ESA, information from Flex will help scientists assess plant health, ecosystem productivity, and the consequences of environmental stress and climate change. The mission costs €350 million and is planned to last three years. The spacecraft will orbit Earth 14 times a day and return over the same areas every 27 days.
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Data on oceans and land
Sentinel-3C will collect data on the marine environment, including temperature, wave height and ocean currents. It will also monitor land use and land cover conditions to optimize crop yields and prevent food crises.
Sentinel-3C is part of Copernicus, a component of the European Union’s Earth observation program. ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes Simonetta Cheli called these missions necessary for addressing the climate change the world is experiencing.
