The only satellite to measure the globe’s wind profile from space, Aeolus, has concluded its mission and returned to Earth through a first-of-its-kind assisted reentry on Friday, July 28. The satellite exceeded its mission by two years since its launch in 2018, and with limited propellant left over, ground teams were able to lower the spacecraft to an altitude of 120 kilometers before reentering the Earth’s atmosphere on its own. The US Space Command confirmed the satellite’s reentry occurred around 9:00 PM CEST (19:00 UTC) above Antarctica, exactly where ESA hoped Aeolus would be.
