Arianespace was signed on 7 September 2016. The launch finally took place on 22 August 2018 on a Vega launch vehicle from French Guiana at 18:20 local time. Status The satellite was launched on 22 August 2018. Three months of testing was conducted before including data in weather models. One year of usage has resulted in reduced power from the primary laser. After switching to the second laser, the instrument is meeting mission objectives. In mid-2019, ESA determined that the UV laser was losing power: it started with pulses of 65 millijoules once it reached orbit, but that energy declined 20 to 30% in the first nine months, and was losing one millijoule per week in May 2019. ESA then decided to switch to a backup laser that had not been used, offering the opportunity to complete the expected 3 year life of the satellite. The report also said that the satellite's orbit at 320 km required re-boosting every week, limiting the satellite's life to the available propellant. In 2020 it was reported that measurements from Aeolus enabled ECMWF to partly compensate for reduced measurements from commercial aircraft at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. In September 2021, since it was launched three years ago, Aeolus has far exceeded expectations and frequently hailed a remarkable success. It was developed as a research mission and to demonstrate how novel laser technology could deliver vertical profiles of Earth's wind. These measurements were much needed, for example by the World Meteorological Organization's Global Observing System, which is a coordinated system of methods and facilities for making meteorological and environmental observations on a global scale. It is expected to reenter the atmosphere in 2022. See also BIOMASS CryoSat and CryoSat-2 EarthCARE FLEX Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Swarm References External links Aeolus page at Airbus Defence and Space Aeolus pages at ESA, with latest news Aeolus blog by Gilles Labruyère, mechanics engineer in the Aeolus project Earth observation satellites of the European Space Agency Spacecraft launched in 2018 Spacecraft launched by Vega rockets 2018 in French Guiana