# ADM-Aeolus (Atmospheric Dynamics Mission)
*missions*

## Specifications
- **collection**: missions
- **operator**: esa
- **current status**: ended
- **actual launch**: 2018-08-22
- **orbit type**: LEO sun-synchronous, 320 km
- **tasking supported**: false
- **entity type**: mission
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-04
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **provider**: esa
- **attributes**: {"collection":"missions","operator":"esa","current_status":"ended","actual_launch":"2018-08-22","orbit_type":"LEO sun-synchronous, 320 km","tasking_supported":false}

## Editorial
ADM-Aeolus (Atmospheric Dynamics Mission Aeolus) was an ESA Earth Explorer mission that operated in a 320 km sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. The mission carried ALADIN, which ESA describes as the first spaceborne high-spectral-resolution Doppler wind lidar.[^esa-aeolus-eogateway] ALADIN measured wind profiles through the troposphere and lower stratosphere by detecting backscatter from molecules and aerosol particles.[^esa-aeolus-eogateway] Aeolus provided global wind profile observations directly from space, filling a measurement gap identified as a priority by the global weather forecasting community.[^eoportal-aeolus]

The satellite launched on 22 August 2018 and conducted nominal science operations until 30 April 2023, when ESA completed the mission.[^esa-aeolus-eogateway] Following mission end, the spacecraft was deorbited in a controlled reentry on 28 July 2023.[^eoportal-aeolus] Aeolus demonstrated the technical feasibility of spaceborne Doppler wind lidar and contributed wind observations that were assimilated into numerical weather prediction models during its operational period.

## Compositional position
- ADM-Aeolus (Atmospheric Dynamics Mission) --[mission_payloads]--> aladin (products)
- ADM-Aeolus (Atmospheric Dynamics Mission) --[related-topic]--> air-quality (topics)

## Sources
- [esa-aeolus-eogateway] | Aeolus mission overview, ESA EO Gateway | https://earth.esa.int/eogateway/missions/aeolus | tier=operator-engineering | accessed=2026-06-04
- [eoportal-aeolus] | Aeolus (ADM-Aeolus) mission profile, eoPortal | https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/aeolus | tier=community | accessed=2026-06-04

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/missions/aeolus
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)