Launch Of Europes Aeolus Satellite From Kourou Spaceport Delayed Over Bad Weather

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st August, 2018) The liftoff of Vega launch vehicle carrying Europe's Aeolus satellite, previously scheduled for Wednesday night from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana's Kourou, has been delayed by 24 hours due to unfavorable weather conditions, the space center's operator Arianespace said Monday.

"The liftoff of Arianespaces Flight VV12 with Europes Aeolus satellite has been delayed by 24 hours due to winds at altitude over the Spaceport in French Guiana. ... With this one-day postponement, the liftoff of Flight VV12 is now set for August 22 at exactly 6:20:09 p.m., local time [21:20 GMT] in French Guiana," the statement says.

The launch vehicle and the satellite are both stabilized and safe, it added.

Aeolus is the first satellite ordered by the European Space Agency (ESA) for remote wind sensing. The satellite, which was built by Airbus Defense and Space, will provide data necessary to improve the quality of weather forecasts, and will also contribute to long-term climate research.

Vega is a light launch vehicle, named after the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere. The first launch of a four-stage launch vehicle took place in February 2012, also from the Kourou Spaceport.