{"id":13637,"date":"2018-08-21T01:05:29","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T17:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/vega-launch-delayed-24-hours\/"},"modified":"2018-08-21T01:05:29","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T17:05:29","slug":"vega-launch-delayed-24-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/vega-launch-delayed-24-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"Vega launch delayed 24 hours"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_34098\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34098\" style=\"width: 850px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34098\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/39077841_1968715616500110_3801515969331855360_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"603\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/39077841_1968715616500110_3801515969331855360_n.jpg 850w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/39077841_1968715616500110_3801515969331855360_n-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/39077841_1968715616500110_3801515969331855360_n-768x545.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/39077841_1968715616500110_3801515969331855360_n-678x481.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-34098\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The European Space Agency\u2019s Aeolus satellite, covered in a payload shroud, was lifted atop its Vega launcher in French Guiana earlier this month. Credit: ESA\/CNES\/Arianespace \u2013 Photo Optique Video du CSG \u2013 P. Baudon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The liftoff of a European satellite to measure global wind fields has been delayed 24 hours to Wednesday in hopes of a better weather forecast at the Vega rocket\u2019s launch base in French Guiana, officials announced Monday.<\/p>\n<p>The European Space Agency\u2019s Aeolus satellite is ready for launch aboard a solid-fueled Vega rocket, the smallest booster in Arianespace\u2019s fleet, to begin a three-year science mission to monitor wind speeds in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Officials from Arianespace, ESA and CNES \u2014 the French space agency \u2014 convened Monday for a launch readiness review. Managers confirmed the readiness of the four-stage Vega launcher and the Aeolus spacecraft, but unfavorable high-altitude winds predicted during at Tuesday\u2019s launch time prompted a 24-hour delay.<\/p>\n<p>Liftoff of the Aeolus mission is now scheduled for Wednesday at an instantaneous launch opportunity set for 2120:09 GMT (5:20:09 p.m. EDT; 6:20:09 p.m. French Guiana time), assuming the upper level wind conditions improve.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWind conditions in the atmosphere along the launcher\u2019s trajectory are among the flight safety elements taken into account for every Arianespace mission,\u201d Arianespace said in a statement Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Officials familiar with Vega launch operations said the upper level winds violated safety limits established to ensure debris from an in-flight mishap will fall away from populated areas.<\/p>\n<p>The irony of the Aeolus mission\u2019s launch delay due to winds was highlighted on an official ESA Twitter account.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1031650035044364288&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2018%2F08%2F20%2Fvega-launch-delayed-24-hours%2F&amp;sessionId=454dc2d86b013ec4a057e4749b842225b8253417&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1031650035044364288\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782699673749672107=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Has anyone else noticed the irony in a 24-hr launch delay in ESA\u2019s #WindMission due to wind? Obviously we need more precise data on\u2026 wind! #aeolus<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ESA Operations (@esaoperations) August 20, 2018<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>After liftoff, the Vega rocket will fly to the north from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, to release Aeolus in a 199-mile-high (300-kilometer) polar orbit. Built by Airbus Defense and Space, the satellite will fly in an unusually low orbit for a science mission, placing the observatory closer to the winds it will measure in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Aeolus weighs approximately 3,000 pounds \u2014 exactly 1,367 kilograms, according to ESA\u2019s project manager for the mission \u2014 fully fueled for its liftoff from the Guiana Space Center on the northeastern coast of South America.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_34099\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34099\" style=\"width: 1417px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34099\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/38737650_1958566374181701_8739687564601982976_o.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1417\" height=\"1002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/38737650_1958566374181701_8739687564601982976_o.jpg 1417w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/38737650_1958566374181701_8739687564601982976_o-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/38737650_1958566374181701_8739687564601982976_o-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/38737650_1958566374181701_8739687564601982976_o-678x479.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1417px) 100vw, 1417px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-34099\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Aeolus satellite is encapsulated inside the Vega rocket\u2019s Swiss-made nose cone in preparation for launch. Credit: ESA\/CNES\/Arianespace \u2013 Photo Optique Video du CSG \u2013 J. Durrenberger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Aeolus carries a high-power ultraviolet Earth-pointing laser to allow the mission to measure the movement of air molecules in the atmosphere. Scientists designed the mission to detect wind speeds at various levels of the atmosphere, ranging from the surface to an altitude of nearly 100,000 feet (30 kilometers).<\/p>\n<p>Named for a figure in Greek mythology who was appointed by the gods as \u201ckeeper of the winds,\u201d the Aeolus mission cost around 480 million euros \u2014 nearly $550 million at today\u2019s exchange rates \u2014 to design, develop and prepare for launch. The development of Aeolus also stretched over 16 years, a decade longer than originally planned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been an exciting time,\u201d said Martin Kaspers, ESA\u2019s product assurance manager for Aeolus mission. \u201cWe\u2019ve had lots and lots of issues. We\u2019ve solved them all, and we are here in Kourou ready with the spacecraft to put it in orbit so it will provide data to the weather forecast community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No other space mission has been able to measure winds at multiple layers of the atmosphere on a global scale. Previous satellites have been limited to deriving winds measurements by tracking the movement of clouds and aerosols, or by measuring the effect of winds on the ocean surface.<\/p>\n<p>If scientists can prove the reliability of Aeolus data after launch, meteorologists plan to incorporate the information into global weather prediction models. The new wind input could result in more accurate forecasts, officials said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were really on the edge of technology,\u201d Kaspers said. \u201cEach time when we resolved a problem, we got further and further, and then suddenly we hit another boundary, either on the optics, or on the electronics, or on a mechanism, and each time we had to come up with new solutions. That\u2019s why, in the end, it took so long, but we\u2019re here and proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The European Space Agency\u2019s Aeolus satellite, covered in a payload shroud, was lifted atop its Vega launcher in French Guiana earlier this month. Credit: ESA\/CNES\/Arianespace \u2013 Photo Optique Video du CSG \u2013 P. Baudon The liftoff of a European satellite to measure global wind fields has been delayed 24 hours to Wednesday in hopes of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2887,1657,498,1244,2888,159,594,831],"class_list":["post-13637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-aeolus","tag-airbus-defense-and-space","tag-arianespace","tag-avio","tag-earth-explorer","tag-earth-observation","tag-earth-science","tag-european-space-agency"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13637"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13637\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}