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Airbus to Build Aeolus-2 Wind-Monitoring Satellite

July 5, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

Airbus Defence and Space to build Aeolus-2 satellite.
ESA funds initial phases of development with 51 million euros.
Aeolus-2 to launch in 2034 with updated lidar instrument.
Mission to provide global wind profile data every seven days.

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Strategic Implications

The selection of Airbus for Aeolus-2 may indicate the company's strength in developing complex space instruments. The mission's focus on wind monitoring suggests a growing emphasis on environmental observation, which could benefit the development of more accurate weather forecasting models and may have significant implications for the global aerospace industry.

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What Happened

European Space Agency Awards Contract for Next-Generation Mission

The European Space Agency has selected Airbus Defence and Space to start work on the Aeolus-2 wind-monitoring satellite, a successor to the Aeolus satellite launched in 2018. The initial contract for the satellite’s development is worth 51 million euros. Aeolus-2 is scheduled to launch in 2034 and will carry an updated version of the lidar instrument, as well as an additional instrument to measure atmospheric aerosols. The mission will provide global wind profile data every seven days, with the goal of improving weather forecasting models. According to SpaceNews, the project will be developed in collaboration with Eumetsat, the European weather satellite agency.

Source | Originally Published: July 2, 2024

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