The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully placed two satellites into orbit designed to enhance the monitoring of extreme weather events linked to climate change. The Vega-C rocket carrying the Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites lifted off from the Kourou space center in French Guiana at 10:21 p.m. Monday (0121 GMT Tuesday), with both spacecraft entering sun-synchronous orbit within two hours of lift-off.

The Flex (Fluorescence Explorer) satellite aims to provide data on the impact of heat waves on plant matter by monitoring the very faint fluorescence emitted by plants during photosynthesis. This fluorescence indicates how efficiently vegetation converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy. According to ESA, the measurements provided by the satellite will "help scientists assess plant health, ecosystem productivity and the effects of environmental stress and climate change." The €350 million ($403.5 million) mission is planned to last three years. The satellite will orbit Earth 14 times a day, revisiting particular locations every 27 days.

The Sentinel-3C satellite will collect data from the marine environment, including temperature, wave height, and ocean currents. It will also monitor land use and land cover with the aim of optimizing yields to prevent food crises. Sentinel-3C is part of Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the EU's space program.

Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA, described the missions as "essential" in helping with the "climate change we are experiencing." However, critics argue that the European Union's space program has not delivered sufficient results in combating climate change, and such missions are largely symbolic.

Source: www.dw.com