Contract Announcement

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to design and build the Aeolus‑2 wind‑sensing satellite, with the signing ceremony held at ESA’s UK headquarters, the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell on Thursday.

Mission Background

The new satellite will replace the original Aeolus mission, which Airbus built and launched in 2018; that satellite provided high‑resolution vertical wind profiles and contributed to a 4 % improvement in numerical weather forecasting before ceasing operations in 2023.

Programme Leadership

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, stated that Aeolus exceeded expectations and that Aeolus‑2 represents the transition from pioneering research to an operational service benefiting citizens and businesses worldwide. UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd highlighted that Airbus Defence and Space in the UK will play a leading role, delivering more accurate forecasts that protect lives and creating highly‑skilled jobs.

Satellite Technical Specification

Aeolus‑2 will be equipped with a Doppler wind lidar employing ultraviolet lasers that scan from ground level up to 30 km altitude, taking measurements every 0.01 seconds. The system will achieve global coverage every seven days and will incorporate an additional detector for aerosol measurement. The lidar’s laser light will reflect off atmospheric particles such as dust, ice and water droplets; a telescope will collect the scattered light to infer wind speed and direction from the Doppler shift.

Orbit and Data Delivery

The spacecraft will orbit Earth 15 times per day from an altitude of 450 km and will transmit data to users within 120 minutes of the oldest measurement in each orbit. ESA is developing the mission in partnership with EUMETSAT, with end‑users including the UK Met Office and the European Centre for Medium‑Range Weather Forecasts. The mission is planned for a 5.5‑year operational lifetime.

Market Reaction

Following the announcement, Airbus shares rose 1.35 %.