2018 · Arianespace
ADM-Aeolus was an Earth observation satellite built by Airbus Defense and Space for ESA. Its goal was to directly observe wind profiles from space on a global scale and provide data that could improve weather forecasting and advance understanding of atmospherics dynamics and climate. The Aeolus satellite weighed around 1366 kg and flew in a low sun-synchronous orbit at about 400 km altitude. It was desorbited and reentered the Earth's atmosphere on July 28, 2023 at approximately 19:00 UTC.