Launched back in 2018, Aeolus has outlived its 36-month in-orbit design life – but going above and beyond, it continues to deliver excellent data.
This shows that there’s life yet in the satellite, meaning ESA’s wind mission is now expected to continue shining a light on the wind for another year.
Heralding the start of the Aeolus Third Anniversary Conference in Taormina, Sicily, which highlighted the continued importance of this pioneering wind mission, the Aeolus Mission Manager, Tommaso Parrinello, said, “I believe that the best is still to come, and I’m pleased to announce that with a switch of the laser we are extending the lifetime of this remarkable mission hopefully for another year.”
Named after Aeolus, who in Greek mythology was appointed ‘keeper of the winds’ by the Gods, Aeolus is a one-of-a-kind satellite that measures wind from space. It is one of ESA’s Earth Explorers missions, which use advanced space technologies to answer critical questions about Earth’s natural processes and the impact that human activity is having.
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Image via European Space Agency
