It is reported that the European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the Aeolus satellite equipped with the green laser pointer into polar orbit, which can provide more accurate and detailed wind speed monitoring than the current one. After launching the above-mentioned 1.4-tonne satellite on the Vega rocket, ESA said: "Using revolutionary laser technology, Aeolus will measure global winds more accurately and help people better understand the operation of the atmosphere. Importantly, this task will also improve weather forecast accuracy."
Ironically, at the launch site in French Guiana, the launch plan was forced to postpone for one day because of strong winds. But for the mission that has proven to be the most technically demanding of the European Space Agency, this is just a small episode.
The current problems with the green laser pointer, especially the damage to the optical system during extended work, have delayed the original launch time by more than a decade. Once fully operational, the satellite's diode-pumped Nd:YAG source "Aladin" instrument will emit 50 high-power pulses per second from low Earth orbit to the atmosphere, which can be directly measured using Doppler lidar. Wind speeds as low as 1 meter per second.
Just two years ago, Aladin project manager Frederic Fabre revealed that the power of this instrument is that it will provide more wind data than all current ground-based systems.
In explaining the mission, the European Space Agency stated: “This sophisticated instrument is designed to detect the atmosphere at the bottom of the 30 km to provide a rough pattern of wind, aerosol and clouds along the orbit of the satellite. Aladin is made up of a powerful The green laser pointer, large telescope and very sensitive receiver are the first wind lidars in space."
The World Meteorological Organization has identified the relative lack of direct global wind profile measurements as one of the main shortcomings of the current global forecasting system, the Global Observing System. By filling this gap, Aeolus satellites will improve weather forecasting and climate simulations and bring considerable social and economic benefits. In particular, it is possible to make more accurate predictions of extreme weather events in the future. ”