Aeolus Wind Satellite

IAS Current Affairs

1 year ago

Overview

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Aeolus wind satellite, after exceeding its planned life in orbit, is making its way back to Earth.

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Aeolus satellite project to research Earth’s winds and their impact on the planet’s climate and weather patterns.
The mission is named after Aeolus, the Greek mythological lord of the winds.
On August 22, 2018, Aeolus was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.

Features

The satellite weighs 1,366 kg.
The wind-component profiles will be measured by the Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument (ALADIN).
Its altitude is a low 320 km.

What are the objectives?

The Aeolus mission’s main objective is to monitor worldwide wind profiles from orbit.
In order to improve weather forecasting, comprehend climate dynamics, and further our understanding of the Earth’s atmospheric circulation, it seeks to give precise and thorough data on wind patterns in the planet’s atmosphere.
It is the first satellite mission to collect globally representative wind profiles.
Aeolus is the fifth planned satellite in the Living Planet Programme (LPP) of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The location of the space centre was selected based on various factors.
- Its proximity to the equator requiring less energy.
- Reduces the potential risk of rocket stages and debris from launch failures falling on or near human settlements
In order to take advantage of Earth’s rotation and the angular momentum it gives, rockets normally launch in the direction of the east.
The Guiana Space Center’s proximity to the equator makes it advantageous for launches to geostationary or low-inclination Earth orbits.
Since it allows rockets to be launched into orbits with an inclination as low as 6°.

French Guiana location in Map

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