Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the Thor 7 and Sicral 2 communications satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
Mission Reports
First-of-its-kind satellite to measure global winds finally ready for liftoff
The European Space Agency’s $550 million Aeolus science mission, the product of a drawn-out 16-year development effort that required engineers to master new technologies, is in the starting blocks on a launch pad in French Guiana awaiting liftoff Wednesday to monitor wind speeds from space for the first time on a global scale.