FLEX is now orbiting in space

The leader of the FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) satellite mission and director of the Earth Observation Laboratory at the University of Valencia followed the operation from the headquarters of the ADEIT Foundation of the UV, together with members of his team, at a commemorative event attended by almost one hundred people from the international scientific community who have contributed to the project, representatives of the European Space Agency (ESA) and partners from the European space sector.

The anticipation and nerves were inevitable from early in the evening because, as Moreno acknowledged, “every launch involves a significant risk and there are many things that can go wrong when launching a rocket into space”. However, the first result was a complete success. “Getting through the launch and having the satellite already in orbit is a great relief and brings a sense of joy and peace of mind at having reached this milestone”, said the Valencian scientist, who described the moment as “the culmination of a great deal of effort by many people and a major celebration for the entire UV team. We are all very excited”.

The mission's initial objectives, which has more than two decades of research work behind it, are to gather data for application to studies of climate change, agriculture, forests and vegetation-cover dynamics. The aim is to determine in advance how capable the planet's green mantle is of responding to extreme events, as well as to optimise agricultural yields in order to contribute to ending hunger around the world.

“Now is when the really interesting phase begins: analysing the data and exploring its scientific applications”, said José Moreno, who stressed that “expectations are enormous within the international community given the novelty of the data provided by FLEX and the current relevance and urgency of addressing these kinds of issues related to the regulatory role of carbon assimilation by vegetation in the effects of and responses to climate change”. “FLEX data will provide a better understanding of the interaction between vegetation and climate and how the carbon, water and energy cycles are regulated, while also helping to improve climate models for future forecasts”, he added.

The countdown
FLEX entered orbit at 5:17 a.m. (Spanish time) after being launched from the European spaceport in French Guiana.

As planned, the countdown to the launch of FLEX, alongside the Sentinel-3C satellite, began at 2:55 a.m., with the satellites on board the European Vega-C rocket. Sentinel was the first to separate, at 4:23 a.m., followed by FLEX at 5:17 a.m. After entering orbit, the first signal from space reached Earth at 5:23 a.m., marking the moment to celebrate the successful launch.

FLEX and Sentinel-3C will now operate in tandem. While FLEX will provide detailed measurements of vegetation fluorescence on a global scale, Sentinel-3C will supply complementary information on vegetation and the state of the atmosphere and the Earth's surface.