ESA Hosts FLEX and Sentinel-3C Launch Re-Watch Event

The European Space Agency (ESA) will host a launch re-watch event for the FLEX and Sentinel-3C satellites on the morning of September 15, 2026. The two Earth observation satellites are scheduled to launch together aboard a Vega-C rocket, designated flight VV30, from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at 03:21 CEST that same morning.

The event will be held at ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. Following the night-time launch in South America, ESA, the European Commission, and partners will present a programme for media and VIP guests featuring a replay of the launch and fresh mission updates from satellite control rooms.

Event Programme and Speakers

The media programme begins at 09:00 CEST with check-in and background discussions. Senior representatives from the involved organisations will deliver presentations and participate in a panel discussion.

Rolf Densing, ESA Director for Operations and Head of the ESOC Establishment, will deliver a welcome address. Presentations will cover the tandem launch concept, the scientific objectives of the missions, and the benefits of the new observations for users in Europe and worldwide. A panel talk will feature Timon Hummel, the FLEX Mission Manager for ESA, Attilio Gambardela, a Copernicus Policy Officer for the European Commission, and representatives from EUMETSAT and Thales Alenia Space.

Operational updates will come directly from control rooms managing the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) for both missions. The event will also include a segment on European access to space with the Vega-C rocket, presented by Nicola Ierardo, the Vega E Project Manager for ESA Space Transportation.

The Launch and Satellite Missions

The core of the event is the re-watch of the Vega-C VV30 launch highlights. The Vega-C rocket will carry the two satellites into orbit from the Guiana Space Centre.

FLEX, or Fluorescence Explorer, is ESA's latest Earth Explorer mission. It is the first satellite designed specifically to measure photosynthetic activity from space. Equipped with a Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer, FLEX will detect the faint fluorescence emitted by vegetation. This data will provide new information on plant health, ecosystem productivity, and the impacts of climate change on Earth's biosphere.

Copernicus Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Sentinel-3 series. Its role is to continue the long-term collection of essential environmental data over oceans, land, ice, and the atmosphere. The mission supports weather forecasting, climate monitoring, environmental management, and scientific research as part of the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation programme.

Post-Event Activities and Logistics

Following the main stage programme, media and VIP guests have the option to visit ESA's Main Control Room for filming opportunities, subject to operational requirements. Further one-on-one interviews with VIP guests, experts, and users will be available until approximately 13:00.

An optional visit to the nearby headquarters of EUMETSAT, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, is available upon request. EUMETSAT is responsible for the routine operations of the Sentinel-3 mission and the delivery of its data and services to users worldwide.

Media representatives must register for the event by September 11, 2026. The event at ESOC concludes at 14:00 CEST.