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The launch of Aeolus-ESA's mission to map the Earth's wind in real time is getting tighter, with the satellite taking off on August 21st from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. With the wind in their sails, the mission teams are actively preparing this unique satellite for their upcoming journey.
Aeolus will wear a sophisticated atmospheric laser Doppler instrument, dubbed Aladin. Combining two powerful lasers, a large telescope and extremely sensitive receivers, it is one of the most advanced instruments ever put into orbit.
The spacecraft has already been tested to handle the rigors of space and has recently crossed a 12-day crossing. from the Atlantic of France to the Spaceport of Europe in Kourou, French Guiana.
Takeoff is scheduled for August 21 at 21:20 GMT (23:20 EDT) on a Vega rocket
"Arrival of Eole at Launch site marks the end of 16 years of planning, testing and intensive construction, by generations of engineers and scientists, "says Juan Piñeiro, head of space operations at Aeolus.
"We are now looking forward to the skills and dedication of these countless individuals come to fruition as Eole takes off and we begin to receive evidence that the satellite can fulfill its mission objectives very well. ambitious. "
The complex world of winds
Currently one of the biggest challenges By making accurate weather forecasts, one collects enough information on the wind of the Earth. Aeolus will be the first satellite to measure winds directly from space, at all altitudes, from the Earth's surface to the troposphere and up to 30 km to the Earth's surface. stratosphere, providing information that will significantly improve the quality of weather forecasts.
Paolo Ferri, Mission Operations Manager at ESA, adds: "Aeolus' mission will be a wonderful addition to our fleet of satellites that continually observe the Earth and bring us incredible information about our planet, Particularly in the complex world of atmospheric dynamics, the climatic processes – systems that affect not only our daily lives but also have enormous consequences for our future. "
Aeolus orbits continually from a pole to the l & # 39; 39, another in an orbit known as "synchronous with the sun" pbading through any given point. The surface of the Earth is at the same time local each revolution, always keeping the same orientation with respect to the Sun.
Specifically, Aeolus will follow a "dawn / dusk" orbit, seemingly following the boundary between sun and shadow, day and night on Earth, meaning that its solar panels will always receive the same amount of sunlight.
Simulating All Eventualities
In preparation for this unique mission, teams from the European Space Agency ESA Space Operations Center spent months training to train manage all possible scenarios in a series of launch simulations in the main control room of the center
Once a satellite has been launched in space, it goes through the critical and complex phase of launch and early orbit, during which control systems and, more later, the instruments are gradually switched on and their health evaluated. 19659005] It's a risky moment where the satellite is exceptionally vulnerable – not yet fully functional but still exposed to the dangers of space.
Pier Paolo Emanuelli, flight director for Aeolus, describes this unique period:
"Each Aeolus satellite is no exception: teams of highly qualified engineers, flight dynamics specialists and flight engineers. Experts in control systems and ground stations practiced exactly what Aeolus needs, when and how it is to do it. "
" It's a difficult but very exciting time! "
Learn more:
At full speed for the launch of Aeolus
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