FLEX and Sentinel-3C arrive at Europe’s Spaceport

The satellites have simply accomplished a two-week sea voyage from Good, France, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean earlier than docking at Pariacabo, the port of Kourou, on 12 July.

The satellite tv for pc containers had been offloaded the next day and transported by street to Europe’s Spaceport, the place the satellites shall be rigorously unpacked and readied for his or her intensive eight-week launch campaigns. This contains complete well being checks and testing, fuelling, and last preparations to make sure FLEX and Sentinel-3C are able to be encapsulated inside the Vega-C rocket fairing.

Sentinel-3C shall be injected into orbit first so it will likely be positioned above the FLEX satellite tv for pc within the fairing.

Francois Bausier, ESA’s Launch Marketing campaign Supervisor for Sentinel-3C, stated, “It was nice to see Sentinel-3C arrive safely in French Guiana after its lengthy journey. Over the subsequent 9 weeks, we’ll work by way of a demanding programme of inspections, testing and preparations to verify the satellite tv for pc is in excellent situation for launch.

“It is a busy interval for the entire staff, however having the satellite tv for pc right here at Europe’s Spaceport is the final step earlier than launch – a step we welcome and one which comes after years of integration and rigorous testing.”

Frank de Bruin, ESA’s Launch Marketing campaign Supervisor for FLEX, added, “Sure certainly, it is implausible to succeed in this milestone and to see each satellites starting their launch campaigns aspect by aspect. Though FLEX and Sentinel-3C have completely different scientific aims, our groups shall be working carefully collectively as we put together the satellites for his or her shared journey into orbit.

“There’s an actual sense of pleasure throughout everybody concerned, and we’re trying ahead to taking FLEX by way of these last levels earlier than launch.”

With each satellites now at Europe’s Spaceport, the main focus turns to finishing the intensive launch marketing campaign that may culminate of their shared liftoff aboard Vega-C.

Europe’s Vega-C rocket is an evolution of the Vega rocket household, providing better efficiency, bigger payload capability and improved competitiveness. It may launch as much as 3300 kg into area, perfect for carrying small scientific and Earth commentary satellites into orbit.

Sentinel-3C is the third satellite tv for pc within the Copernicus Sentinel-3 collection. Like its two older siblings in orbit, Sentinel-3C carries a set of cutting-edge devices that measure systematically Earth’s oceans, land, ice and environment to watch and perceive large-scale international dynamics. It supplies important info in near-real time for ocean and climate forecasting.

ESA’s Earth Explorer FLEX will ship the primary international maps of vegetation fluorescence at a decision of 300 m × 300 m to evaluate photosynthetic exercise.

FLEX is supplied with the Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer that may detect the faint fluorescence crops emit as they take in daylight throughout photosynthesis. Though invisible to the human eye, this refined glow varies with plant well being and environmental situations.

Actually, the FLEX satellite tv for pc will orbit in tandem with a Sentinel-3 satellite tv for pc, which shall be used to offer info on clouds, aerosols and water vapour in addition to details about the land floor, such because the floor temperature, sort of land cowl and extra vegetation parameters. This built-in package deal of near-simultaneous measurements will present an unprecedented view of worldwide vegetation perform and standing.