European wind-mapping satellite returned safely to Earth

The European Space Agency (ESA) reported on Saturday that a European wind-mapping satellite has successfully returned to Earth after a carefully planned assisted return operation to prevent damage from debris. This marked the first time ESA’s mission control attempted an assisted re-entry through the planet’s atmosphere.

The satellite, called Aeolus, was launched in 2018 with the goal of measuring Earth’s global wind patterns to enhance short-term weather forecasting and our understanding of man-made climate change. The ESA highlighted the Aeolus mission as one of its most successful Earth observation missions, surpassing scientific expectations and exceeding its planned lifespan in orbit.

Following several days of complex maneuvers, the one-ton satellite safely re-entered the atmosphere above Antarctica. By lowering its orbit from 320 kilometers to 120 kilometers, the satellite burned up safely during re-entry. The ESA strategically positioned Aeolus to ensure any potential debris would fall within its planned Atlantic ground tracks, minimizing the risk to populated areas.

Although most modern satellites are designed to minimize the risk of debris upon re-entry, Aeolus was designed in the late 1990s before these regulations were in place. Without intervention from the ESA, Aeolus would have naturally re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in a few weeks with no control over its trajectory.

The ESA’s primary objective was to reduce the risk of falling debris from Aeolus to demonstrate its commitment to achieving zero space debris by 2030. While radars could not detect whether any debris survived re-entry, the pioneering satellite has made significant contributions to climate research and weather forecasting.

The ESA is now working on the development of Aeolus-2, continuing its mission to advance our understanding of Earth’s weather systems and climate change.

© 2023 AFP

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