European Space Agency Aeolus satellite now come to its end. Aeolus satellite life cycle is completed and it is running out of fuel. Soon it’ll be burned into Earth’s Atmosphere.ESA’s Aelous satellite now reaches an altitude of just 320 Km.
ESA’s Aeolus satellite will soon be lowered to an altitude of 320 km. European Space Agency now planning its safe maneuver in the earth’s atmosphere because all space agencies now focus on space debris management.
What is European Space Agency Aelous Satellite?
ESA’s Aelous satellite provides accurate information on weather forecasts and climate research. It also provides detailed info on winds and clouds on Earth.
The satellite’s launch in 2018 and its modern wind mapping laser improved global weather forecasts. Now it completed its mission on 30 April 2023.
ESA Aerolus satellite always considers being the best weather satellite mission. However, Aeolus is now depleted of fuel and orbiting at a low altitude of just 320km. Now it is in its ending phase and ESA scientists will assist in its reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Now European Space Agency preparing for Aeolus 2 mission.
.@esa_aeolus is coming home back to Earth.
This is the FIRST assisted reentry of its kind; here's what is planned 🧵➡️ https://t.co/lC9zChFW00#ByeByeAeolus pic.twitter.com/jQkOiC1oAL
— ESA Earth Observation (@ESA_EO) May 8, 2023
How ESA Will Manuevre the Aeolus Satellite?
Aeolus will descend naturally from its current altitude of 320km to 280km over the next few months. Through its activity, it is shown that it’ll bid its final goodbye and burn in the earth’s atmosphere before the end of August. However, the recent solar flares speed up the process.
Currently spacecraft operators at ESA’s mission control center ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany will gradually lower it to 150km above Earth’s surface. But for the satellite to end its life in the earth’s atmosphere requires it to lower to 80km.
ESA’s scientists now assisting with its safe reentry and targeting the ocean upon its reentry into the earth’s atmosphere, so in any case fragments could fall into the ocean, not into the populated land.
ESA’s Aeolus Mission Manager, Tommaso Parrinello said “The exact details on the reentry approach and series of maneuvers and operations, as well as a more detailed timeline, will be made public in mid-June.
“For now, we can anticipate that we are targeting the best ocean corridor to reenter”