ESA - Aeolus

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

Aeolus laser beam being detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory

An unlikely pairing

Cosmic ray detectors and space lasers prove mutually beneficial

Effects of the assimilation of horizontal line of sight winds on equatorial waves in relation to the background wind

Aeolus reveals hidden uncertainties in tropical systems

Final images of Aeolus during its brief phase as space debris

Final images before Aeolus demise

05/09/2023 21608 views 84 likes

Understanding Earth’s winds

Aeolus: a historic end to a trailblazing mission

29/07/2023 16592 views 138 likes

Measuring cyclones

Enabling & Support

Historic Aeolus reentry – how it happened

Get rolling updates on the Aeolus reentry, on the Rocket Science blog

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 4954 views 89 likes

To the tune of Aeolus

The sound of Aeolus will blow you away

14/07/2023 5615 views 81 likes

ESA's wind mission

Guiding Aeolus' safe reentry

10/07/2023 13300 views 192 likes

Ash plume moving over Greece

Aeolus enhances volcanic ash forecasts for aviation safety

Aeolus CAL/VAL and science workshop

* Rescheduled to 2–6 November 2020

More items

Applications
Image gallery
Open
Applications
Video gallery
Open
Applications
Aeolus brochure
Open
Story
Applications
Documents & publications

21/06/2017 5391 views 5 likes
Read

Discover Aeolus

ESA's wind mission

Introducing Aeolus

45237 views 130 likes

Measuring cyclones

Facts and figures

9588 views 15 likes

Earth’s winds

Earth's winds

17592 views 15 likes

Profiling the world's winds

Measuring wind

15276 views 20 likes

Weather map

Forecasting weather

14393 views 14 likes

Aeolus on show

Aeolus satellite

15940 views 21 likes

Understanding Earth’s winds

Lasers in space

25013 views 71 likes

Into space and back

10830 views 17 likes

Aeolus data flow

Data flow

7585 views 15 likes

First light from Aeolus

Data products

10281 views 55 likes

Follow us

Subscribe @ESA_EO @esa_earth

Recommended

Observing the Earth

FutureEO

FutureEO

Earth Explorers icon

Earth Explorers

Access Aeolus data