SpotlightIn-Orbit / OperationalTrack 2

AEOLUS-2 DOPPLER WIND LIDAR INSTRUMENT: STATUS UPDATE

Dr. Alessandra Ciapponi

ESA/ESTEC

Day

Monday · 2026-10-12

Time

11:20 AM - 12:40 PM

Track

Track 2

Session

Lidars & Technologies

Venue

ICSO 2026 Conference Venue

Hall Track 2Session Lidars & Technologies

Track indicates the session hall. Refer to the on-site programme board for the exact room number and any last-minute room changes.

In 30 seconds

Aeolus-2 introduces the first operational Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) mission, utilizing a sophisticated bistatic architecture to provide global wind profiles. The instrument features dual high-energy ultraviolet laser transmitters and specialized Rayleigh and Mie spectrometers to measure molecular and aerosol scattering. This technology significantly enhances numerical weather prediction and atmospheric research through precise, long-term wind observations.

Read the full paper

Access the complete technical paper via the official ICSO 2026 programme.

Read Full Paper

Topics & Subtopics

Lidar & Active SensingAtmospheric LidarDoppler Wind LidarInstrument PerformanceChannel Monitoring & ForecastingSpectrometersTransmit LasersMechanisms

Spotlight

Highly timely after ESA's July 2026 authorisation to proceed. Aeolus-2 is explicitly shifting proven Doppler-wind-lidar technology into an operational meteorological mission.