Aladin 90 Days Launch Window and Mission Parameters
The Aladin 90 days window refers to the operational launch period for the Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument (ALADIN) payload, which flies on the Aeolus satellite. The mission is managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus Defence and Space, with the Vega rocket serving as the primary launch vehicle for this class of missions. The 90 day frame is determined by orbital mechanics, ground station availability, and coordination with other ESA Earth observation missions to minimize collision risk and maximize data continuity. Public launch logs and mission updates are published through ESA's dedicated Aeolus mission page and the agency's Earth Online portal, which provide real time tracking of the satellite's orbital altitude, instrument status, and data products. For the latest launch readiness and countdown procedures, ESA publishes official bulletins that detail the exact 90 day window, including backup dates and contingency plans for weather or technical delays ESA Aeolus Mission Page.
During the 90 days, the Aladin instrument emits ultraviolet laser pulses toward the Earth's surface and atmosphere, measuring the Doppler shift of the backscattered light to derive wind profiles from the ground up to the stratosphere. The satellite operates in a sun synchronous orbit at approximately 320 kilometers altitude, completing a full global coverage cycle every seven days. The data are processed by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and distributed to numerical weather prediction centers worldwide, directly feeding into short term forecast models. The 90 day operational cadence is synchronized with the satellite's repeat cycle and the calibration phases required to maintain the accuracy of the wind measurements ECMWF Aeolus Data Page.
Technical Specifications and Performance of the Aladin Instrument
The ALADIN instrument is a direct detection Doppler wind lidar that uses a frequency tuned alexandrite laser to generate ultraviolet light at 355 nanometers. The telescope has a diameter of 1.5 meters and uses a double prism receiver to separate the Mie and Rayleigh scattering signals, enabling wind measurements from the surface up to an altitude of about 30 kilometers. The instrument weighs approximately 170 kilograms and consumes around 300 watts of power, integrated into the Aeolus satellite bus built by Airbus in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The 90 day operational phase includes continuous calibration and validation activities, with in orbit performance closely monitored by the ALADIN Calibration and Validation team at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the French space agency CNES ESA Aeolus Technical Overview.
Since its launch in August 2018, the Aladin instrument has delivered wind profile data that are used operationally by more than 30 national meteorological services and are integrated into the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System. The 90 day data collection periods are analyzed for coverage gaps, instrument degradation, and signal-to-noise ratio to ensure the quality standards required for numerical weather prediction. The satellite has exceeded its original design life of three years, with the ALADIN lidar continuing to provide unique vertical wind profiles over oceans, deserts, and polar regions where traditional in situ measurements are sparse. The performance metrics from the 90 day windows are published in quarterly mission reports by ESA and the Aeolus Science Team ESA Aeolus Data Access.