This paper will describe the current status of instrument pre-development activities that are being performed in the frame of a potential Aeolus Follow-On mission (Aeolus-2). The main inputs for a future Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) instrument that have been used are: lessons learned from the Aeolus development phases and the in-orbit operations and performance; initial inputs from EUMETSAT including a total mission lifetime of 10-15 years utilizing 2-3 spacecraft with a launch of the first satellite in 2029, increased robustness and operability of the instrument, and an emphasis on reduction of recurrent costs; the maximum utilization of the demonstrated design heritage; and a number of recommendations for the requirements of a future DWL mission from the Aeolus Scientific Advisory Group. These inputs have been collated and combined into a set of preliminary requirements which have been used as the basis for a dedicated Instrument Consolidation Study. The aim of the study is to adapt the design (taking account of the heritage retention principle), in order to improve the performance of the instrument for the Aeolus follow-on mission. In addition, three instrument subsystem pre-development activities have been kicked-off: two laser transmitter engineering model pre-developments aiming at increasing the output energy level up to 150mJ in UV and the robustness of the laser transmitter and the pre-development of an improved detector with better vertical sampling. These developments have the aim to demonstrate that issues identified from the above are resolved and that the technology levels are sufficiently mature for the follow-on DWL mission.
The European Space Agency is developing a direct detection Doppler Wind Lidar for measuring wind profiles from
space. The main objective of Aeolus is to provide tropospheric and lower stratospheric wind profiles globally for the
improvement of weather forecast on short and medium term. Aeolus data are expected to greatly contribute to weather
and air quality monitoring and to scientific advances in atmospheric dynamics. The UV Lidar instrument, ALADIN, will
deliver horizontally-projected single line-of-sight wind profiles from the Doppler shift of molecular and particle
backscatter. The development of the AEOLUS mission passed a major milestone with the integration of the full
instrument and its functional and performance tests in 2016 and a 6-month life test of the spare UV laser transmitter. The
satellite has been assembled and has successfully been subjected to a programme of functional and environmental
(vibration, acoustic, shock, EMC) tests. The preparation of thermal vacuum testing, including instrument performance in
vacuum, is close to completion.
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