FLEX (satellite)

[3] FLEX was selected for funding on 19 November 2015[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and will be launched on a Vega C rocket from Guiana Space Centre in mid-2026 together with another Earth-observing satellite, Altius.

It comprises a satellite for the global monitoring of steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation.

[12] Leaf photosynthesis releases energy not required in the biochemical process in the form of light in wavelength between 640 and 800 nanometres.

[3] Fluorescence is a powerful non-invasive tool to track the status, resilience, and recovery of photochemical processes, and provides important information on overall photosynthetic performance with implications for related carbon sequestration.

FLEX will encompass a three-instrument array for measurement of the interrelated features of fluorescence, hyperspectral reflectance, and canopy temperature.