Avio S.p.AVega-CAriane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Vega-C | Sentinel-3C & FLEX
Countdown
No countdown — this launch time is not yet known to the minute.September 15, 2026 · 01:21 UTCAdd to calendar
Image: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin
Avio S.p.A's 2nd launch · 2nd this year · humanity's 7,390th orbital launch attempt
Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window: Sep 15, 01:21 – Sep 15, 01:21 UTC
Flight preview
Sentinel-3C & FLEX
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.
Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
Booster
No booster details available.
Watch
No webcast announced yet.
Updates
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
NET 2026
Nosu · 5/27/2024 · source
NET Q1 2025.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/15/2024 · source
Adding launch NET October 2024
Nosu · 11/21/2022 · source
News
FLEX and Sentinel-3C sealed within Vega-C fairing
At Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, preparations for one of the year’s most anticipated Earth-observation launches are entering their final stages.
ESA’s photosynthesis satellite fuelled
Europe’s newest eye on the health of Earth’s vegetation has taken another crucial step towards orbit – the European Space Agency’s FLEX satellite has been fuelled at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of its planned launch on 15 September at 03:21 CEST (14 September at 22:21 local time).
FLEX and Sentinel-3C arrive at Europe’s Spaceport
With liftoff scheduled for September, excitement is building at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana as two cutting-edge Earth observation satellites, FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C, have arrived to begin their launch campaigns.
Pad — Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
Local pad time: Sep 14, 10:21 PM GMT-3
55 launches from this pad · 335 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
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