Two ESA satellites set for launch within weeks from French Guiana
ESA will launch two Earth-observation satellites within weeks: MTG-I2 completes the Meteosat constellation, and FLEX will map vegetation fluorescence for the first time.
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The European Space Agency is preparing for a rapid succession of launches from its spaceport in French Guiana, with two Earth-observation missions scheduled to lift off within three weeks of each other.
On 27 August, an Ariane 6 rocket is set to carry the MTG-I2 satellite into geostationary orbit. This will be the third satellite in the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) constellation, which is operated by Eumetsat. The first MTG-Imager and MTG-Sounder satellites are already in orbit, and MTG-I2's arrival will complete the constellation.
MTG-I2 is equipped with two instruments: the Flexible Combined Imager and the Lightning Imager. The Flexible Combined Imager can scan the full Earth disc in 10 minutes, and can focus on Europe and northern Africa every 2.5 minutes, providing rapid updates for weather forecasting. The Lightning Imager continuously monitors for lightning, a capability that is new for European meteorological satellites. Positioned 36,000 km above the equator, the satellite will maintain a constant view of the same region.
ESA will hold a launch event at its ESTEC facility in Noordwijk, Netherlands, on 27 August. Media representatives must register by 25 August at 17:00 CEST.
Just over two weeks later, on 15 September at 03:21 CEST (14 September at 22:21 local time), the FLEX satellite is scheduled to launch on a Vega-C rocket from the same spaceport. FLEX will be accompanied by Copernicus Sentinel-3C, which arrived in French Guiana in mid-July. After deployment, FLEX will fly in tandem with Sentinel-3A to complement its measurements.
FLEX carries a Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer designed to measure vegetation fluorescence, an invisible glow emitted by plants during photosynthesis. The mission will deliver the first global maps of this fluorescence at a spatial resolution of 300 by 300 meters. Over its planned minimum mission duration of 3.5 years, FLEX will observe at least three seasonal vegetation cycles in both hemispheres.
Frank de Bruin, ESA Launch Campaign Manager for FLEX, said: "Preparations to ready our satellite for launch have been going very well here at Europe's Spaceport and I thank everyone involved." He added: "For fuelling, everyone apart from the fuelling experts left the cleanroom for safety reasons." He continued: "Everything went according to plan and FLEX is now fully loaded." He noted: "The next steps involve installing FLEX on its launcher adapter before encapsulating it into lower position of the Vega-C rocket fairing."
FLEX has been fuelled with 30 kg of volatile propellant, a step that was completed without incident. With both missions readying for liftoff, the coming weeks mark a significant period for European space observation.