ESA Launches the Sentinel-3C and FLEX Satellites into Orbit to Improve Earth Observation

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched the Sentinel-3C and FLEX satellites aboard a Vega-C rocket from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana in the early morning hours of September 15 at 3:21 a.m. CEST. Both missions will help expand our knowledge of and monitoring of Earth, ranging from the observation of oceans and land masses to the study of vegetation health.

GMV has contributed to various phases of both missions, ranging from initial studies and system validation to satellite control, data processing, and in-orbit operations.

Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series and will conduct systematic measurements of oceans, land masses, ice, and the atmosphere. It will also provide near-real-time data for weather and ocean forecasting. For this mission, GMV has developed the control center located at ESA’s European Space Operations Center (ESOC), from where the satellite will be monitored and managed throughout its entire operational life. The company is also responsible for the mission planning and orbital control systems, as well as the Sentinel-3C operational simulator for ESOC and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

In addition, GMV has developed the onboard software for the OLCI instrument control module, designed to observe the color of the oceans and land surfaces. The company maintains the control centers and auxiliary systems for the Copernicus satellites and provides precise orbit determination services for the processing and exploitation of data from the Sentinel missions. In addition, during the launch, GMV teams provided on-site software support at ESOC.

For its part, FLEX is part of ESA’s Earth Explorer program and is the first satellite capable of mapping, on a global scale, the fluorescence emitted by plants during photosynthesis. This signal will enable a more precise assessment of vegetation health and the response of ecosystems to environmental conditions.

GMV has participated in mission analysis studies and developed the end-to-end performance simulator, which replicates the entire data acquisition and processing chain and enables verification of the mission’s scientific objectives. It has also conducted independent software verification and validation and developed essential ground segment components, such as the facilities for the initial processing of scientific data and auxiliary information.

The company has also developed the FLEX control center for ESOC, from which telemetry, telecommands, and satellite operations will be managed, and provided software support during the launch. The combined use of data from Sentinel-3C and FLEX will provide the scientific community with a more comprehensive understanding of how the planet's plant ecosystems function.