Airbus Defence and Space secured the initial contract to design and build the Aeolus-2 wind sensing satellite for the European Space Agency. This agreement marks the formal start of Phase B2 for the mission, the operational successor to the original Aeolus satellite that deorbited in July 2023. An initial €70 million award was approved to commence development, with the first 2.5-tonne satellite expected for launch in 2034. Aeolus-2 will deploy two satellites carrying a new Doppler Wind Lidar instrument, delivering high-resolution global wind profiles from the lower atmosphere to the stratosphere. The system targets enhanced data quality with reduced measurement errors, directly supporting numerical weather prediction models and climate research strategies across the sector.