The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) is a planned mission by the
European Space Agency
, owners =
, headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France
, coordinates =
, spaceport = Guiana Space Centre
, seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png
, seal_size = 130px
, image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...
to launch a satellite to monitor the global steady-state
chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation.
FLEX was selected for funding on 19 November 2015
and will be launched on a
Vega C
Vega ( it, Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata, or french: Vecteur européen de génération avancée, or en, European Vector of Advanced Generation, meaning "Advanced generation European carrier rocket") is an expendable launch system in ...
rocket from
Guiana Space Centre in mid-2025.
Overview
The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission is the eighth mission in the Earth Explorer programme, (part of ESA's
Living Planet Programme
The Living Planet Programme (LPP) is a programme within the European Space Agency which is managed by the Earth Observation Programmes Directorate. LPP consists of two classes of Earth observation missions (listed below) including research missio ...
). It comprises a satellite for the global monitoring of steady-state
chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation.
Leaf photosynthesis releases energy not required in the biochemical process in the form of light in wavelength between 640 and 800 nanometres.
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
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...
in both healthy and physiologically perturbed vegetation that can be used to monitor croplands and forests.
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
Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in land ...
. 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
*
Photosynthetic efficiency The photosynthetic efficiency is the fraction of light energy converted into chemical energy during photosynthesis in green plants and algae. Photosynthesis can be described by the simplified chemical reaction
:6 H2O + 6 CO2 + energy → C6H12O6 + ...
*
Phototroph
Phototrophs () are organisms that carry out photon capture to produce complex organic compounds (e.g. carbohydrates) and acquire energy. They use the energy from light to carry out various cellular metabolic processes. It is a common misconcep ...
References
External links
FLEX- Report to ESA for mission selection
*Workshops on the FLEX mission
2014FLEX Photosynthesis StudyFLEX Bridge StudyFLEX (Fluorescence Explorer) article on eoPortal
Fluorescence
Ecological metrics
Earth observation satellites of the European Space Agency
2025 in spaceflight
Proposed satellites
Spectrometers
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