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Airbus moves ahead on wind sensing satellite
Airbus Defence and Space has signed an initial contract with the European Space Agency to design and build Aeolus-2, the next European satellite mission aimed at improving global weather forecasting.
The contract was signed at ESA’s ECSAT site in Harwell, United Kingdom, on 2 July 2026. Aeolus-2 will follow the first Aeolus satellite, which Airbus built and launched in 2018.
That first mission proved that measuring wind from space could make a real difference. According to Airbus, Aeolus improved numerical weather forecasting by 4 percent and gave forecasters better vertical wind profiles from orbit.
From research mission to operational service
Aeolus-2 is being developed by ESA in partnership with EUMETSAT. Its data will support major weather centres, including the UK Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, said Aeolus showed the value of space based wind observations and that Aeolus-2 marks the shift from research to operational service.
That matters for logistics and transport because weather is not background noise. It affects vessel routing, port operations, aviation planning, offshore work and supply chain timing. Better wind data is like giving forecasters a clearer map before the storm arrives.
UK role underlined
The satellite will be built with a strong UK industrial role. Liz Lloyd, UK Space Minister, said Airbus Defence and Space in the UK would again play a leading part in the programme.
She said Aeolus-2 would support more accurate forecasts, help protect communities and create highly skilled jobs linked to Europe’s space programmes.
Kata Escott, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space in the UK, said the project would allow UK teams to apply specialist expertise in Earth observation and weather monitoring.
Why it matters for logistics
For shipping, ports, aviation and project cargo planning, better wind data means more reliable weather models. The first Aeolus mission improved numerical weather forecasting by more than 4 percent and helped fill gaps over oceans, polar regions and remote trade corridors.
Lidar system to scan global winds
Aeolus-2 will carry a Doppler wind lidar using ultraviolet lasers. The system will scan from ground level up to 30 kilometres, taking measurements every 0.01 seconds and covering the globe every seven days.
The satellite will also include an additional detector to measure aerosols in the atmosphere.
The original Aeolus mission supported understanding of hurricanes, volcanic ash movement and weather patterns in areas where data is often limited, including the poles and the equator.
Aeolus-2 will orbit Earth 15 times a day at an altitude of 450 kilometres. It is designed for a lifetime of 5.5 years and will deliver data to users within 120 minutes of the oldest measurement in each orbit.
Data users
Aeolus-2 is being developed by ESA with EUMETSAT and is expected to support major forecasting centres including the UK Met Office and ECMWF. For logistics operators, the value is simple: better forecasts can reduce weather uncertainty before vessels, aircraft and heavy cargo start moving.
