The mission control team at the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully guided Aeolus, the satellite that has been providing data to weather centers across Europe since 2018, to its final resting place. On July 29th, at approximately 1:00 AM, the ESA’s Space Debris Office announced that the satellite re-entered the atmosphere.
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Aeolus satellite was controlled to descend to Earth instead of uncontrolled re-entry. Image: ESA
Originally, Aeolus was not designed for a controlled re-entry at the end of its mission, but ESA decided to use the remaining small amount of fuel to control the satellite. This marks the first time such a controlled re-entry has been conducted.
Under normal circumstances, Aeolus would gradually descend and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. By directing the satellite to crash into the ocean, ESA hopes to minimize the risk of debris hitting people or property, although this risk is already very low. The expert team is also collecting data to inform future controlled re-entries and demonstrate new methods, with the hope that other countries and space organizations can adopt them.
Launched in August 2018, Aeolus became the first satellite to measure Earth’s winds from space. Weighing 1,360 kg, it was built by Airbus Defense and Space in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK. The satellite carried a sophisticated laser device called a Doppler wind lidar, which helps researchers improve weather forecasting and climate models.
Originally planned for a three-year mission, Aeolus actually operated for nearly two additional years. It began its descent from operational altitude on June 19th and performed its crucial first reorientation maneuver on July 24th. Aeolus is one of approximately one hundred tons of space debris, including non-operational satellites, rocket bodies, and other components, that re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere each year.