KOUROU, French Guiana — The European Space Agency launched an Ariane 6 rocket carrying a Copernicus Sentinel Earth observation satellite on Tuesday from the Guiana Space Centre, expanding the bloc's climate and disaster monitoring network. Arianespace confirmed the launch.

The Copernicus programme, a joint initiative of the European Commission and ESA, provides free environmental data to governments and researchers. The satellite is designed to track land temperatures, vegetation, and atmospheric conditions linked to heatwaves and wildfires.

The launch coincided with extreme heat across southern Europe, where France and Spain issued red alerts. ESA officials said the Sentinel fleet supplies critical data to national meteorological services and the European Union's emergency response coordination centre.

The flight marked another step in establishing Ariane 6 as Europe's primary heavy-lift launcher following years of delays and reliance on foreign providers. Arianespace has said the vehicle is central to restoring the continent's independent access to space amid competition from SpaceX.

An ESA spokesperson said the new satellite would strengthen Europe's ability to respond to climate-driven disasters and reinforce the Copernicus programme as the world's largest provider of open Earth observation data.