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ADM-Aeolus

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Also known as Atmospheric Dynamics Mission - Aeolus, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission – Aeolus, Aeolus, Earth Explorer 4

Aeolus, or, in full, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus (ADM-Aeolus), was an Earth observation satellite operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was built by Airbus Defence and Space, launched on 22 August 2018, and operated until it was deorbited and re-entered the atmosphere over Antarctica on 28 July 2023. ADM-Aeolus was the first satellite with equipment capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation and provided much-needed information to improve weather forecasting. Aeolus was the first satellite capable of observing what the winds are doing on Earth, from the s

Key facts

Spaceflight.manufacturer
Airbus Defence and Space
Spaceflight.power
2300 watts
Spaceflight.name
ADM-Aeolus
Spaceflight.names_list
Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus
Spaceflight.image
ADM-Aeolus model.jpg
Spaceflight.image_caption
Artist's view of ADM-Aeolus
Spaceflight.image_size
300px
Spaceflight.operator
ESA / ESOC
Spaceflight.COSPAR_ID
2018-066A
Spaceflight.SATCAT
43600
Spaceflight.mission_duration
5 years (achieved)
Spaceflight.launch_date
22 August 2018, 21:20 UTC
Spaceflight.launch_rocket
Vega
Spaceflight.launch_site
Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELV
Spaceflight.launch_contractor
Arianespace
Spaceflight.disposal_type
Deorbited
Spaceflight.last_contact
July 1, 2023
Spaceflight.decay_date
July 28, 2023

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Named after
Aeolus
Followed by
EarthCARE
Follows
Swarm
Parent body
Earth
Mass
1094
Orbital period
90.8
Manufacturer
Space Systems
Official website
www.esa.int/Aeolus
Image
ADM-Aeolus model.jpg
Significant event
atmospheric entry
Show 12 more facts
Commons category
ADM-Aeolus
space launch vehicle
Vega
apoapsis
323.6
periapsis
321.9
orbital inclination
96.7
UTC date of spacecraft launch
2018-08-22
carries scientific instrument
lidar
launch contractor
Arianespace
time of object orbit decay
2023-07-28
Sources (8)

via Wikidata · CC0

~9 min read

Encyclopedic overview

11 sections
Contents
  • Program
  • Mission
  • Satellite
  • Scientific payload
  • ALADIN
  • Launch
  • Operations
  • Impact
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

Aeolus, or, in full, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus (ADM-Aeolus), was an Earth observation satellite operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was built by Airbus Defence and Space, launched on 22 August 2018, and operated until it was deorbited and re-entered the atmosphere over Antarctica on 28 July 2023. ADM-Aeolus was the first satellite with equipment capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation and provided much-needed information to improve weather forecasting. Aeolus was the first satellite capable of observing what the winds are doing on Earth, from the surface of the planet and into the stratosphere 30 km high.

The satellite was named after Aeolus, a god from the Greek mythology, the ruler of the winds.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “ADM-Aeolus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.