Summary: Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to design and build the Aeolus-2 satellite, a follow-on to the Aeolus mission launched in 2018. The contract was formalized at a ceremony at ESA's UK headquarters, ECSAT, in Harwell.
The original Aeolus satellite, built and launched by Airbus in 2018, produced high-resolution vertical wind profiles from space and contributed to a measured 4% improvement in numerical weather forecasting. That mission ceased operations in 2023. Aeolus-2 is intended to continue and evolve those capabilities toward an operational service.
"Aeolus exceeded expectations and demonstrated the transformative impact that space-based wind observations can have on weather forecasting. Aeolus-2 represents the natural evolution of that achievement - from pioneering research to an operational service that will benefit citizens and businesses worldwide," said Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes.
At the signing event UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd highlighted the role of Airbus Defence and Space in the UK. "Aeolus-2 will deliver real benefits for people across the UK, from more accurate weather forecasts that protect lives and communities, to the highly skilled jobs that come from being a key partner in Europe’s most ambitious space science programmes," Lloyd said.
The satellite will carry a Doppler wind lidar that uses ultraviolet lasers to scan the atmosphere from the surface up to 30 kilometers altitude, taking measurements at intervals of 0.01 seconds. The instrument is designed to achieve global coverage on a seven-day cycle and will also include an additional detector to measure atmospheric aerosols.
Measurement works by emitting laser light that scatters off atmospheric particles such as dust, ice and water droplets. A telescope aboard the satellite collects the scattered light and uses the Doppler shift of those particles to determine wind speed and direction.
Aeolus-2 will operate from an orbit approximately 450 kilometers above Earth, completing about 15 revolutions per day. Data collected by the satellite will be made available to users within 120 minutes of the oldest measurement taken during each orbit.
ESA is developing the mission in partnership with EUMETSAT. Identified users of Aeolus-2 data include national and regional meteorological agencies such as the UK Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
The mission is planned for a 5.5-year operational lifetime.
Key points
- Contract signed at ESA's ECSAT in Harwell for Airbus Defence and Space to design and build Aeolus-2.
- Aeolus-2 will carry an ultraviolet Doppler wind lidar and an aerosol detector, scanning from ground level to 30 km with measurements every 0.01 seconds and global coverage every seven days.
- Data delivery target is within 120 minutes of the oldest measurement per orbit; mission partners include EUMETSAT and users include the UK Met Office and ECMWF. Planned mission lifetime is 5.5 years.
Sectors impacted: aerospace and defence manufacturers, meteorological services and satellite operations.
Risks and uncertainties
- The mission has a planned lifetime of 5.5 years, which limits the expected operational horizon for the data stream.
- Data are delivered within 120 minutes of the oldest measurement in each orbit - a defined latency window that users will need to accommodate.
- The project is being developed in partnership with EUMETSAT, indicating dependencies on multi-organization coordination for mission delivery and operations.