Critical days for Aeolus

Mission teams at ESA's ESOC operations centre in Germany worked around the clock in the days following the launch of the wind mission, Aeolus. This period, known as the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP), sees flight controllers, satellite engineers and experts in flight dynamics work non-stop to gradually switch on the satellite’s various control systems and verify its health.

This image was taken in ESA's Main Control Room on the night of the launch, as control teams began to take over control of the spacecraft from the launchsite in Kourou, French Guiana.