ESA’s Aeolus satellite carries the Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument (Aladin) – one of the most sophisticated instruments ever to be put into orbit. The first of its kind, Aladin includes revolutionary laser technology to generate pulses of ultraviolet light that are beamed down into the atmosphere to profile the world’s winds – a completely new approach to measuring the wind from space. This animation shows Aladin’s inner workings.

Access all the Aeolus animations.