欧洲航天局于2026年9月15日晚间利用Vega-C火箭从法属圭亚那库鲁航天中心成功发射Sentinel-3C和Flex两颗气候观测卫星进入轨道1。两颗卫星发射后两小时内进入日同步轨道1，将用于监测气候变化及其对植物、海洋和大气的影响1。
Flex卫星通过监测植物光合作用产生的荧光来评估植被健康状况1，绕地球频率为每天14次，每27天重访同一地点1，项目成本为3.5亿欧元，计划运行三年1。Sentinel-3C卫星则负责收集海洋温度、波浪高度、洋流等数据，并监测陆地利用和覆盖情况1。欧洲航天局地球观测项目主任西蒙内塔·切利表示，这些任务在应对气候变化方面是"必要的"1。
The European Space Agency deployed two Earth-observation satellites into orbit on September 15, 2026, marking a significant advancement in climate monitoring capabilities 1. The Vega-C rocket lifted off at 10:21 p.m. GMT from the Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana, carrying the Sentinel-3C and FLEX satellites into sun-synchronous orbit, with both spacecraft reaching their designated trajectories within two hours of launch 1.
The FLEX satellite, which cost €350 million ($403.5 million), is designed to measure plant fluorescence to assess vegetation health and the impacts of climate change 1. Operating on a three-year mission timeline, it will orbit Earth 14 times daily and revisit the same geographic location every 27 days 1. The Sentinel-3C satellite complements this effort by collecting data on ocean temperature, wave height, ocean currents, and monitoring land use and land cover patterns 1. Together, these instruments will enable researchers to study changes affecting plants, oceans, and the atmosphere 2. According to Simonetta Cheli, director of ESA's Earth Observation Programme, these missions are essential in addressing climate change 1.
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