First-of-its-kind satellite to measure global winds finally ready for liftoff

The European Space Agency’s $550 million Aeolus science mission, the product of a drawn-out 16-year development effort that required engineers to master new technologies, is in the starting blocks on a launch pad in French Guiana awaiting liftoff Wednesday to monitor wind speeds from space for the first time on a global scale. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 22)