Airbus Defence and Space will build the Aeolus-2 wind-monitoring satellite for the European Space Agency. Credit: Airbus Defence and Space
WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency has selected Airbus Defence and Space to start work on the successor to a wind-monitoring satellite.
ESA announced July 2 it authorized Airbus to begin work on the Aeolus-2 satellite, funding the initial phases of the satellite’s development. The contract for that initial work is worth 51 million euros ($58.3 million), according to an Airbus spokesperson.
Aeolus-2 is the successor to Aeolus, a satellite launched in 2018 to demonstrate the ability of a lidar instrument to collect global wind profiles. The spacecraft operated for nearly five years before reentering in 2023.
In 2022, based on the success of Aeolus, ESA member states approved a follow-on mission then scheduled to launch at the end of the decade and use two satellites. ESA now says it is targeting a 2034 launch for Aeolus-2 and has discussed only a single satellite.
