A wind satellite’s final moments
In late July, the Aeolus Earth Explorer satellite underwent a controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in its fiery destruction. The European Space Agency (ESA) released an animation of its last moments, crafted from images captured by the Tracking and Imaging Radar (TIRA) at Fraunhofer FHR in Germany. These final frames, released in September, show Aeolus intact, but tumbling. TIRA monitored the satellite’s descent using its 110-foot antenna on July 28, documenting the satellite’s spectacular end as it transformed into a fireball.
