Launch of wind tracking satellite delayed—by adverse winds

The launch of a European satellite that will be the first to directly measure wind speeds around the world has been delayed—because of bad weather.

Launch company Arianespace said Monday that the liftoff of the Vega rocket carrying the Aeolus satellite into orbit has been postponed by 24 hours "due to winds at altitude."

The probe, named after the keeper of the winds in Greek mythology, was scheduled to lift off from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana at 6:20 p.m. (2120 GMT) Tuesday.

Aeolus is equipped with a so-called Doppler lidar that uses laser pulses to detect the movement of tiny particles in the atmosphere.

The European Space Agency, which will operate the satellite, says real-time wind measurements will make weather and climate predictions more accurate.