FLEX and Sentinel-3C launched - European Space Agency

The European Space Agency’s FLEX Earth Explorer satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite have been launched together aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, marking a new milestone in Europe’s Earth Observation Programmes.

Flight VV30 lifted off on 15 September at 03:21 (14 September at 22:21 local time).

A launch adapter called Vespa allowed both satellites to be stacked inside the Vega-C fairing for launch. Positioned on top of Vespa, Sentinel-3C was injected into orbit first, followed by FLEX approximately one hour later.

Following the satellites’ separate deployments, ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Germany received the all-important first signal from each satellite, confirming that both had been safely released from the rocket and had established contact with ground control.