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ClimateQuiet 8d · day 9

ESA launches Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites for climate monitoring

European Space Agency deploys two Earth observation satellites to track vegetation health and ocean conditions amid climate change.

newest coverage 7d agosummary written 8d ago8 pieces16 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • ESA successfully launched Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites on September 14–15 to enhance climate and environmental monitoring for Europe.
  • Flex tracks plant photosynthesis fluorescence to measure vegetation stress and ecosystem health; Sentinel-3C monitors oceans, land use, and crop productivity to prevent food crises.
  • Social media users question the carbon footprint and ecological cost of satellite launches themselves, even as they serve climate science.

The dispute Whether the ecological and climate costs of launching and eventually deorbiting satellites outweigh their value for climate monitoring. · positions read across 2 posts and comments

many voices

The satellites are valuable tools for understanding and addressing climate change.

  • “ESA has just send 2 Satellites to look closer at climate change”

    nullexistent@mstdn.social · Mastodon ↗
some voices

Satellite launches have significant environmental and climate costs that must be weighed against their monitoring benefits.

  • “These two # satellites may be good things, but their launch - & eventual return to # Earth - aren't without # ecological # cost .”

    rmblaber1956@mastodon.social · Mastodon ↗

European Space Agency (ESA) Space agency launching the satellitesSimonetta Cheli Director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA

ESA launches Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites for climate monitoring
dw.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 4 pieces in two hours at Sep 15, 2 AM; 8 pieces over 9 days (3 articles · 5 posts) Sep 15, 2 AM — 4 pieces · 2 articles · 2 posts — Mastodon 3, Newswires 1Sep 15, 4 AM — quietSep 15, 6 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 15, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 15, 10 AM — quietSep 15, 12 PM — quietSep 15, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 15, 4 PM — quietSep 15, 6 PM — quietSep 15, 8 PM — quietSep 15, 10 PM — quietSep 16, 12 AM — quietSep 16, 2 AM — quietSep 16, 4 AM — quietSep 16, 6 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 16, 8 AM — quietSep 16, 10 AM — quietSep 16, 12 PM — quietSep 16, 2 PM — quietSep 16, 4 PM — quietSep 16, 6 PM — quietSep 16, 8 PM — quietSep 16, 10 PM — quietSep 17, 12 AM — quietSep 17, 2 AM — quietSep 17, 4 AM — quietSep 17, 6 AM — quietSep 17, 8 AM — quietSep 17, 10 AM — quietSep 17, 12 PM — quietSep 17, 2 PM — quietSep 17, 4 PM — quietSep 17, 6 PM — quietSep 17, 8 PM — quietSep 17, 10 PM — quietSep 18, 12 AM — quietSep 18, 2 AM — quietSep 18, 4 AM — quietSep 18, 6 AM — quietSep 18, 8 AM — quietSep 18, 10 AM — quietSep 18, 12 PM — quietSep 18, 2 PM — quietSep 18, 4 PM — quietSep 18, 6 PM — quietSep 18, 8 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 12 AM — quietSep 19, 2 AM — quietSep 19, 4 AM — quietSep 19, 6 AM — quietSep 19, 8 AM — quietSep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 12 PM — quietSep 19, 2 PM — quietSep 19, 4 PM — quietSep 19, 6 PM — quietSep 19, 8 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 12 AM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 8 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 16Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22now · 3:44 AM ET
  1. 2

    ESA describes missions as essential for climate understanding

    Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth Observation Programmes at the ESA, characterized the satellite missions as critical tools for addressing the climate crisis.

    “essential in helping with the climate change we are experiencing…”
    — Simonetta Cheli
    1. 2 outlets Europe launches two climate observation satellites

      first by Mastodon, 9d ago · also Deutsche Welle EN

  2. background

    Sentinel-3C will track ocean conditions and agricultural productivity — Sentinel-3C, part of the EU's Copernicus Earth observation program, will collect marine data including temperature, wave height, and ocean currents, plus monitor land use and land cover to optimize yields and prevent food crises.

  3. background

    Flex satellite will monitor plant health via photosynthesis fluorescence — The Flex (Fluorescence Explorer) satellite measures faint fluorescence emitted by plants during photosynthesis to assess vegetation efficiency and the impact of heat waves. It will orbit Earth 14 times daily and revisit locations every 27 days.

  4. 1

    Concerns raised about environmental cost of satellite launches

    Social media discussion emerges questioning the climate and ecological impact of the Vega-C rocket launch and eventual satellite reentry, noting trade-offs between climate monitoring benefits and launch emissions.

    “What was the # climate & # environmental # impact of the Vega-C # rocket # launch & that of the rocket's # flight into # Space ? These two # satellites may be good things, but their launch - & eventual return to # Earth - aren't without # ecological # cost .”
    — rmblaber1956@mastodon.social
    • rmblaber1956@mastodon.social

      https://www. dw.com/en/europe-launches-two- climate-observation-satellites/a-79268705 . What was the # climate & # environmental # impact of the Vega-C # rocket # launch & that of the rocket's # flight into # Space ? These two # satellites may be good things, but their launch - & eventual return to # Earth - aren't without # ecological # cost .

      rmblaber1956@mastodon.socialMastodon8d ago2▲view on Mastodon ↗
    1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
    • nullexistent@mstdn.social

      ESA has just send 2 Satellites to look closer at climate change: - The Flex (Fluorescence Explorer) Monitoring the very faint fluorescence emitted by plants when they carry out photosynthesis. - The Sentinel-3C satellite Monitoring the marine environment, on temperature, wave height and ocean currents, land use and land cover on farm yields. OC…

      nullexistent@mstdn.socialMastodon9d ago1▲view on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  5. background

    ESA launches Sentinel-3C and Flex satellites on Vega-C rocket — The Vega-C rocket carrying the two satellites lifted off from 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.

What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 2 · verbatim

Still unanswered
  • What are the full lifecycle carbon and environmental costs of satellite launches and eventual reentry?
  • How do the emissions from Vega-C launches compare to the climate benefits of improved monitoring?