FLEX Satellite
The European Space Agency's FLEX satellite has been fuelled ahead of its planned launch on 15 September
The European Space Agency's FLEX satellite has been fuelled with 30 kg of highly volatile fuel at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This milestone brings the satellite one step closer to its planned launch on 15 September at 03:21 CEST, aboard a Vega-C rocket.
According to the European Space Agency, the FLEX satellite will provide new insights into the health of the world's plants by measuring the faint glow of fluorescence emitted as they capture light for photosynthesis.
Satellite Capabilities
The FLEX satellite is equipped with a Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer, which will deliver the first global maps of vegetation fluorescence at a spatial resolution of 300 m × 300 m. This data will improve understanding of how carbon moves between plants and the atmosphere, and how photosynthesis drives the carbon and water cycles.
The FLEX satellite arrived in French Guiana in mid-July, along with the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite, after a two-week voyage by sea from Nice, France. Engineers have been carrying out inspections and preparations to ready both satellites for liftoff.
Launch Preparations
For FLEX, the latest milestone was the hazardous and delicate process of loading the satellite with fuel. This propellant will allow FLEX to perform manoeuvres after separation from the rocket and throughout its planned minimum 3.5-year mission. Frank de Bruin, ESA's Launch Campaign Manager for FLEX, said preparations to ready the satellite for launch have been going very well.
Mission Objectives
FLEX will initially fly in tandem with the Sentinel-3A satellite, providing complementary measurements of clouds, aerosols and water vapour, alongside information about the land surface. The following table compares the key mission parameters of FLEX and Sentinel-3C:
| Parameter | FLEX | Sentinel-3C |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Date | 15 September | 15 September |
| Launcher | Vega-C | Vega-C |
| Mission Duration | minimum 3.5 years | - |
| Spatial Resolution | 300 m × 300 m | - |
The European Space Agency's source states that the stakes are high, as photosynthesis is one of the planet's most important natural processes, underpinning food production and absorbing huge quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Fuelling is an extremely hazardous operation and takes place under strict safety procedures, carried out by a highly specialised team. The next steps involve installing FLEX on its launcher adapter before encapsulating it into the lower position of the Vega-C rocket fairing.
