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European Space Agency launched world’s first wind-sensing satellite 'Aeolus': Details
European Space Agency launched the world’s first wind-sensing satellite 'Aeolus': Details, Significance, Highlights
European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched a wind-sensing satellite named Aeolus into orbit on board of Vega rocket from French Guyana.
Aeolus satellite is world’s first wind-sensing satellite dedicated for mapping Earth’s wind on a global scale in particular tropical winds which are very poorly mapped because of the almost complete absence of direct observations.
The satellite is Aeolus named after guardian of wind in Greek mythology. It will be placed at an altitude of 320km above the Earth. It is part of the Copernicus project, a joint initiative of European Union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations.
Aeolus satellite is equipped with single instrument Doppler wind lidar (named Aladin), which is advanced laser system is designed to accurately measure global wind patterns from space. It will probe lower layers of the atmosphere, down to the altitude of about 30 km to yield vertical profiles of wind and information on aerosols and clouds.
Aeolus satellite will provide much-needed data to improve the quality and accuracy of weather forecasting. It will help to improve understanding of working of atmosphere dynamics and contribute to climate change research.
