FLEX (satellite) explained

FLEX
Mission Type:Earth observing satellite
Operator:ESA
Mission Duration:3.5 years (planned)[1]
Spacecraft Bus:Myriade
Manufacturer:Thales Alenia Space
Power:700W
Launch Date:2026 (planned)[2]
Launch Rocket:Vega-C
Launch Site:Kourou ELV
Launch Contractor:Arianespace
Orbit Reference:Geocentric
Orbit Regime:Sun-synchronous
Orbit Altitude:814 km
Orbit Inclination:98.64°
Orbit Repeat:27 days
Apsis:gee
Programme:Living Planet Programme
Previous Mission:BIOMASS
Next Mission:FORUM

The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) is a planned mission by the European Space Agency to launch a satellite to monitor the global steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation.[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.[2] [11]

Overview

The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission is the eighth mission in the Earth Explorer programme, (part of ESA's Living Planet Programme). 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]

After more than 70 years of basic and applied research in chlorophyll fluorescence, it is now established that fluorescence is a sensitive indicator of photosynthesis in both healthy and physiologically perturbed vegetation that can be used to monitor croplands and forests.[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. The early responsiveness of fluorescence to atmospheric, soil and plant water balance, as well as to atmospheric chemistry and human intervention in land usage, makes it a useful biological indicator in improving the understanding of Earth system dynamics.

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

The program will involve a space and ground-measurement program of 3-years duration and will provide data formats for research and applied science.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) – Facts and Figures . . 3 January 2020.
  2. Web site: ALTIUS - ESA's ozone mission . 4 May 2024 . ESA.
  3. News: Amos . Jonathan . Flex satellite will map Earth's plant glow . BBC News . 19 November 2015 . 2015-11-20 .
  4. News: de Selding. Peter B.. Panel Endorses Vegetation Fluorescence Mapper for ESA's Earth Explorer Program. 3 October 2015. Spacenews. 25 September 2015.
  5. Book: 10.1109/IGARSS.2012.6352020. FLEX: ESA's Earth Explorer 8 candidate mission. 2012 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. 7125–7128. 2012. Kraft. S. Del Bello. U. Bouvet. M. Drusch. M. Moreno. J. 978-1-4673-1159-5. 7603157.
  6. Book: 10.1117/12.2032060. FLORIS: Phase a status of the fluorescence imaging spectrometer of the Earth Explorer mission candidate FLEX. Sensors, Systems, and Next-Generation Satellites XVII. 8889. 88890T. 2013. Kraft. S. Bézy. J.-L. Del Bello. U. Berlich. R. Drusch. M. Franco. R. Gabriele. A. Harnisch. B. Meynart. R. Silvestrin. P. 128624334. Roland. Steven P.. Haruhisa. Meynart. Neeck. Shimoda.
  7. 10.1109/TGRS.2016.2621820. The FLuorescence EXplorer Mission Concept—ESA's Earth Explorer 8. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 55. 3. 1273–1284. 2017. Drusch. Matthias. Moreno. Jose. Del Bello. Umberto. Franco. Raffaella. Goulas. Yves. Huth. Andreas. Kraft. Stefan. Middleton. Elizabeth M. Miglietta. Franco. Mohammed. Gina. Nedbal. Ladislav. Rascher. Uwe. Schuttemeyer. Dirk. Verhoef. Wout. 2017ITGRS..55.1273D. 5267592.
  8. Book: 10.1109/IGARSS.2003.1293850. The FLEX-Fluorescence Explorer mission project: Motivations and present status of preparatory activities. IGARSS 2003. 2003 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37477). 1. 585–587. 2003. Stoll. M.P. Buschmann. C. Court. A. Laurila. T. Moreno. J. Moya. I. 978-0-7803-7929-9. 56932583.
  9. Book: 10.1007/978-1-4020-6709-9_299. FLEX — Fluorescence Explorer: A Remote Sensing Approach to Quantify Spatio-Temporal Variations of Photosynthetic Efficiency from Space. Photosynthesis. Energy from the Sun. 1387–1390. 2008. Rascher. Uwe. Gioli. Beniamino. Miglietta. Franco. 978-1-4020-6707-5.
  10. Book: 10.1117/12.2309086. Fluorescence imaging spectrometer concepts for the Earth explorer mission candidate flex. International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2012. 72. 2017. Harnisch. Bernd. Kraft. Stefan. Bézy. Jean-Loup. Drusch. Matthias. Bouvet. Marc. Del Bello. Umberto. 9781510616172. 125313615.
  11. Arianespace to launch with Vega C FLEX & ALTIUS, two ESA programmes at the service of environment . . 11 January 2022 . 11 January 2022.
  12. Web site: FLEX (Fluorescence Explorer) . 2022-12-28 . www.eoportal.org . en.