LaunchLAUNCH SUCCESSFULLive

Sentinel-3C & FLEX

· Vega-C · Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Watch replayESA

01

Mission

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.

Vega-C launched Sentinel-3C & FLEX from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) at Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.

Launched
22:21 UTC-3 at the pad
Rocket
Vega-C · Avio
Destination
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Launch site
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana 2nd launch from this pad in 2026, 119 days after the previous
Latest update
Both satellites successfully deployed and signals acquired from both.

2h24min

Mission duration

2nd

Avio launch of 2026

02

Flight

All times approximate · shown in your time zone, CEST · Timeline: The Space Devs

  1. T+00:00:00Liftoff
  2. T+00:02:27Stage 2 Separation
  3. T+00:02:28SESUpper stage
  4. T+00:04:32Stage 3 Separation
  5. T+00:04:39Stage 3 Ignition
  6. T+00:04:44Fairing SeparationUpper stage
  7. T+00:07:11Kick Stage Separation
  8. T+00:08:23Kick Stage Ignition
  9. T+00:17:06Kick Stage Cut-off
  10. T+00:55:29Kick Stage Ignition
  11. T+00:58:30Kick Stage Cut-off
  12. T+01:00:50Payload SeparationPayload
  13. T+01:46:19Kick Stage Ignition
  14. T+01:46:49Kick Stage Cut-off
  15. T+01:54:32Kick Stage Ignition
  16. T+01:54:58Kick Stage Cut-off
  17. T+01:56:03Payload SeparationPayload
  18. T+02:23:32Kick Stage Ignition
  19. T+02:24:58Kick Stage Cut-off

03

Vega-C

Avio · 8 flights, 7 successful, first flown July 2022

About Vega-C

Vega-C is a single-body rocket nearly 35 m high with that weighs 210 tonnes on the launch pad. As with Vega, its main elements are three solid-propellant stages, an upper stage powered by a reignitable liquid-propellant engine and a payload fairing. Vega-C's P120C first stage replaces Vega’s smaller P80 to provide a significant increase in thrust at liftoff. It is also used as boosters (2 or 4) for the Ariane 6 rocket.

34.8m

Height

3m

Diameter

210t

Mass at liftoff

3.3t

Payload to low Earth orbit

2,974kN

Thrust at liftoff

04

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