资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

It goes without saying that accurate weather forecasts are important for businesses such as farming, fishing, construction, transport, energy exploitation and also for just planning our daily affairs.

Although weather forecasts have advanced considerably in recent years, meteorologists urgently need reliable global wind-profile data to improve the forecasts even further.

Currently information on the wind comes from weather balloons, ground-based instruments, aircraft, from tracking cloud movement and from satellite instruments that measure wind near the ocean surface.

Aeolus measures the wind around the globe and delivers its measurements almost in real time, which is exactly what meteorological centres need to improve our forecasts.

Carrying some of the most sophisticated space technology ever developed, it has taken some years to get this far, but now Aeolus is ready to be shipped to the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana for liftoff on 21 August.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Josef Aschbacher, said, “We are very proud to see Aeolus here today at Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France.

“It has been a rocky road developing this incredible mission, but nobody ever said space technology was easy. Aeolus is a true first and we know that it is set to make a real difference to our understanding of the planet as well as have real world applications.

“I am very grateful to everyone that has worked so hard to reach this point and we look forward to the next step, shipping and preparing for liftoff.”