Avio S.p.AVega-CAriane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Sentinel-3C & FLEX
Launched
September 15, 2026 · 01:21 UTC
Image: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin
Summary
Avio's Vega-C successfully inserted Sentinel-3C and FLEX into orbit, enhancing Copernicus marine, land, and vegetation monitoring with optical, radar, and fluorescence data.
- Watch
- Vega C | Flight VV30 | Sentinel-3C - FLEX | AvioAvio SpA
- FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch (Official broadcast)European Space Agency, ESA
- Vega C launches Sentinel-3C & FLEXNASASpaceflight
- Vehicle
- Vega-C · Avio S.p.ACopernicus
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)for ESA
- Milestone
- 8th Vega-C flight · 2nd this yearAvio S.p.A's 2nd launch2nd this yearhumanity's 7,390th orbital launch attempt217th orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
SENTINEL-3C · NORAD 100689 · 2026-209A · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- FLEX
- Object ID
- 2026-209A
- Epoch
- 2026-10-08 04:39:50 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.25320952 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00033953
- Inclination
- 98.6279°
- Ascending node
- 346.9116°
- Arg. of perigee
- 329.733°
- Mean anomaly
- 30.3653°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 328
- B*
- 0.000046493759
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Flight timeline
- T−0Liftoff
- T+2M27SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M28SSES
- T+4M32SStage 3 Separation
- T+4M39SStage 3 Ignition
- T+4M44SFairing Separation
- T+7M11SKick Stage Separation
- T+8M23SKick Stage Ignition
- T+17M6SKick Stage Cut-off
- T+55M29SKick Stage Ignition
- T+58M30SKick Stage Cut-off
- T+1H50SPayload Separation
- T+1H46M19SKick Stage Ignition
- T+1H46M49SKick Stage Cut-off
- T+1H54M32SKick Stage Ignition
- T+1H54M58SKick Stage Cut-off
- T+1H56M3SPayload Separation
- T+2H23M32SKick Stage Ignition
- T+2H24M58SKick Stage Cut-off
About this launch
Sentinel-3C & FLEX launched on an Avio S.p.A Vega-C from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on September 15, 2026 at 01:21 UTC. It was Avio S.p.A's 2nd launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 7,390th orbital launch attempt. It was the 8th Vega-C flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). SENTINEL-3C, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 821 × 832 km orbit inclined 98.6°.
Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Sentinel-3 constellation, which provides high-accuracy optical, radar and altimetry data for marine and land services. The Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) satellite is a part of ESA's Earth Explorer program. The satellite will map vegetation fluorescence to quantify photosynthetic activity.
News
Sentinel-3C returns its first views of EarthJust two weeks after it was launched, the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite returned its first images and measurements from two of its key instruments – a major milestone that confirms the satellite is working well and on the road to monitoring the health of Earth’s oceans, land, cryosphere and atmosphere.
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Avio Launches Second Successful Vega C Flight of 2026Italian launch services provider Avio has successfully completed its second Vega-C flight of 2026, deploying the European Commission’s third Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite and ESA’s FLEX mission. The Vega-C rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre at 01:21 UTC on 15 September. Following two burns of the rocket’s AVUM+ upper stage, Sentinel-3C was deployed […]
FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch highlightsESA’s state-of-the-art 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).
Relive the launch of FLEX and Sentinel-3CWatch the full replay of the launch of ESA’s state-of-the-art FLEX Earth Explorer satellite and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite. Both were 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).
Avio launches pair of climate monitoring European spacecraft to study plants, oceans and atmospheric changesThe mission, with the shorthand VV30, is the second launch of a Vega-C rocket managed solely by Avio without Arianespace. Liftoff from Ensemble de Lancement Vega at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana happened at 10:21 p.m. local time (9:21 p.m. EDT / 0121 UTC / 3:21 a.m. CEST).
FLEX and Sentinel-3C launchedThe 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.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
56th launch from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), 2nd this year · 336th from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Local pad time at liftoff: Sep 14, 10:21 PM GMT-3, at night
56 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
118 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Updates
Both satellites successfully deployed and signals acquired from both.
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/15/2026 · source
Official Webcast by Avio SpA has started
LL2 · 9/15/2026 · source
GO for launch on September 15 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/30/2026 · source
NET September 11
Nosu · 6/25/2026 · source
NET September 9.
Cosmic_Penguin · 6/5/2026 · source
NET September 1st, together with FLEX.
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/11/2026 · source
NET October 2026
Nosu · 12/6/2025 · source
NET September 2026. (see 02:17:55 mark)
Cosmic_Penguin · 11/6/2025 · source
NET June 2026
Nosu · 9/15/2025 · source
Questions
When did Sentinel-3C & FLEX launch?
Sentinel-3C & FLEX launched on September 15, 2026 at 01:21 UTC.
Where can I watch Sentinel-3C & FLEX?
Coverage: Vega C | Flight VV30 | Sentinel-3C - FLEX | Avio; FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch (Official broadcast); Vega C launches Sentinel-3C & FLEX. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Sentinel-3C & FLEX?
Vega-C, flown by Avio S.p.A. Vega-C spec sheet
Where did Sentinel-3C & FLEX launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana. Liftoff was Sep 14, 10:21 PM GMT-3 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Sentinel-3C & FLEX reach?
SENTINEL-3C, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 821 × 832 km orbit inclined 98.6°.
Which program is Sentinel-3C & FLEX part of?
Copernicus. About Copernicus