ESA - Aeolus - Archive

ESA title

The mission

Aeolus was the first satellite mission to acquire profiles of Earth’s wind on a global scale. These observations improved weather forecasts and climate models. The Aeolus satellite carried just one large instrument – a Doppler wind lidar that measured the winds sweeping around our planet. Surpassing scientific expectations and exceeding its planned life in orbit, the mission ended on 28 July 2023.

The launch

Date: 22 August 2018
Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Rocket: Vega

1st wind lidar in space
7 billion UV pulses
5 years in orbit
3 billion euros societal benefit

Aeolus

Final images of Aeolus during its brief phase as space debris

Final images before Aeolus demise

05/09/2023 21862 views 85 likes

Understanding Earth’s winds

Aeolus: a historic end to a trailblazing mission

29/07/2023 17028 views 138 likes

Aeolus teams take part in the first ever assisted reentry simulations at ESA mission control

Enabling & Support

Simulating Aeolus’s return: mission control feels the heat

18/07/2023 5089 views 89 likes

To the tune of Aeolus

The sound of Aeolus will blow you away

14/07/2023 5822 views 81 likes

ESA's wind mission

Guiding Aeolus' safe reentry

10/07/2023 13662 views 192 likes

Understanding Earth’s winds

Aeolus’ fiery demise to set standard for safe reentry

08/05/2023 11202 views 166 likes

Measuring cyclones

Trailblazing Aeolus mission winding down

18/04/2023 8649 views 107 likes

Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption

Looking back at the eruption that shook the world

16/01/2023 22903 views 219 likes

ESA's wind mission

Christmas comes early for Aeolus

15/12/2022 4755 views 76 likes

Understanding Earth’s winds

Putting a value on ESA’s Aeolus wind mission

18/11/2022 3040 views 49 likes

Aeolus improves wind measurements

Keeper of the winds shines on

26/04/2022 6104 views 76 likes

Profiling the world's winds

Aeolus paves the way for future wind lidars in space

14/12/2021 5882 views 73 likes

Ground laser checking on Aeolus

Joining forces for Aeolus

20/09/2021 4230 views 95 likes

Polar vortex change

Aeolus shines a light on polar vortex

04/02/2021 14775 views 133 likes

Aerosols from Saharan dust plume

Satellites track unusual Saharan dust plume

09/07/2020 26418 views 95 likes

Aeolus goes public

12/05/2020 11697 views 108 likes

Fewer flights mean fewer atmospheric measurements

COVID-19: Aeolus and weather forecasts

21/04/2020 7063 views 54 likes

Weather room at ECMWF

Aeolus winds now in daily weather forecasts

10/01/2020 7958 views 125 likes

Understanding Earth’s winds

Improving new Aeolus wind data for forecasts

12/11/2019 4350 views 42 likes

Measuring cyclones

ESA spacecraft dodges large constellation

03/09/2019 37747 views 430 likes

Wind measurements from Aeolus second laser

Second laser boosts Aeolus power

23/07/2019 7526 views 100 likes

Strong wind over western Europe

Aeolus well on the way to improving forecasts

05/04/2019 4838 views 46 likes

Cloud-free Europe

New observations for the new economy

08/03/2019 10813 views 90 likes

Profiling the world's winds

Taking Aeolus to the next level

11/02/2019 3615 views 58 likes

Aeolus in orbit

Enabling & Support

Laser battle that gave Europe our Aeolus wind-mapper

05/11/2018 4636 views 64 likes

Winds imaged by Aeolus

Aeolus wows with first wind data

12/09/2018 15415 views 181 likes

First light from Aeolus

Aeolus laser shines light on wind

05/09/2018 12290 views 171 likes

Critical days for Aeolus

Enabling & Support

Wind mission ready for next phase

24/08/2018 6625 views 109 likes

ESA’s Aeolus wind satellite launched

23/08/2018 18068 views 140 likes

Enabling & Support

Aeolus teams ready for space

17/08/2018 6980 views 69 likes

Aeolus in the launch tower

Aeolus in launch tower

14/08/2018 7338 views 86 likes

Encapsulation

Aeolus sealed from view

09/08/2018 6458 views 78 likes

Fuelling specialists tend Aeolus

Wind satellite fuelled for flight

02/08/2018 2776 views 48 likes

Measuring cyclones

Enabling & Support

Aeolus — preparing to fly the wind mission

24/07/2018 12920 views 82 likes

Aeolus arrives

Full steam ahead for Aeolus launch

06/07/2018 5218 views 82 likes

Aeolus boarding

Aeolus sets sail

15/06/2018 3220 views 56 likes

Aeolus on show

Wind satellite shows off

05/06/2018 5269 views 76 likes

Laser reading

Wind satellite survives vacuum

07/02/2018 3621 views 45 likes

Aeolus ready for the chamber

Wind satellite vacuum packed

02/11/2017 5851 views 66 likes

Aeolus ready for next step

Wind satellite heads for final testing

30/01/2017 6731 views 92 likes

Measuring cyclones

Vega to launch ESA’s wind mission

07/09/2016 8000 views 84 likes

Profiling the world's winds

Aladin wind probe ready for Aeolus

02/08/2016 12854 views 145 likes

Measuring cyclones

Chasing polar winds with lasers

04/06/2015 4302 views 38 likes

Keeper of the winds

Perseverance paves way for wind laser

22/04/2015 8535 views 104 likes

Scattering light

Romania to shed new light on the atmosphere

14/10/2014 4588 views 40 likes

Tower of winds, Athens

Livas brings aerosols and clouds under one roof

17/04/2014 4145 views 34 likes

Wind laser survives extremes

15/01/2014 4508 views 52 likes

Laser pulse

90 million laser shots bring wind satellite back on track

16/04/2013 11831 views 61 likes

Volcano plume from Falcon aircraft

Experts gather as volcanic dust settles

28/05/2010 2218 views 2 likes

Ash cloud observed by lidar

Enabling & Support

New tools aid volcanic ash monitoring

22/04/2010 2861 views 3 likes

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