What is Aeolus Satellite?
The European Space Agency launched revolutionary Aeolus Satellite,
which is based upon the revolutionary laser technology. It will explore Earth,
and will give the better understanding about the atmosphere.
The Aeolus in Greek meant “Keeper of winds”. It will address the
most urgent Earth science questions. It has new approach to measure winds from
the space.
Need- The world Meteorological Organization said that
there was a lack of direct global wind measurements. Aeolus will fill this
gap.
IT will give information
relate do how wind, pressure, temperature, and humidity are interlinked.
The most significant aspect
of climate change- It will provide data to
understand that how the wind influences the exchange of heat and moisture
between Earth surface and the atmosphere.
Laser Technology- It generates pulses of
ultra violet light that are beamed down in atmosphere to profile the world’s
wind. It will provide global wind profile with accuracy. Data will be used in
air quality models.
The satellite will be
controlled from ESA centre in Germany. The process known as the Doppler
Effect is familiar to most people from the way the sound of an
ambulance changes whether it’s moving toward or away from the listener.
Importantly, Aeolus will
close a gap scientists have when it comes to measuring winds at altitudes
between 10-30 kilometers (six and 18 miles).
It will also be able to
collect data from areas where ground-based weather stations don’t exist, such
as in remote regions on land or at sea.
The satellite will orbit
Earth every 90 minutes, beaming data to a ground station on Norway’s
Arctic island of Svalbard from where they will be sent to the European Center
for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading, England.
