august, 2018
21aug21:20Vega VV12 • ADM Aeolus

Event Details
Launch Date: August 21, 2018 Launch Window: 21:20 UTC Launch Vehicle: Vega Launch Operator: Arianespace Launch Site: ZLV (ELA-1), Guiana Space Center, French Guiana Payload: ADM Aeolus Spacecraft Manufacturer: Airbus Defence & Space Satellite Operator: ESA Aeolus - formerly known as the Atmospheric Dynamics
Event Details
Launch Date: | August 21, 2018 |
Launch Window: | 21:20 UTC |
Launch Vehicle: | Vega |
Launch Operator: | Arianespace |
Launch Site: | ZLV (ELA-1), Guiana Space Center, French Guiana |
Payload: | ADM Aeolus |
Spacecraft Manufacturer: | Airbus Defence & Space |
Satellite Operator: | ESA |
Aeolus – formerly known as the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM) – is a 1,400-Kilogram satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space and outfitted with an experimental payload capable of measuring three-dimensional wind fields to demonstrate a potentially ground-breaking technique for measuring atmospheric dynamics and so improve weather forecasting and climate research. The Aeolus mission looks back at an extraordinarily long road to launch with an initial launch target of 2007.
The Aeolus spacecraft is fitted with an Active Doppler Lidar – pulsing lasers into Earth’s discernible atmosphere and measuring the Doppler shift in the in the return signal, backscattered light intensity from different atmospheric layers to be able to create altitude-dependent wind profiles. The primary payload of the satellite is known as Aladin (Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument) – combining a direct detection lidar with a fringe-imaging receiver and double-edge receiver.
Mission Resources:
? Launch Vehicle Overview: Vega
Time
(Tuesday) 21:20