A Ukrainian-designed and manufactured rocket engine helped to successfully place the European Space Agency’s Earth Explorer Aeolus satellite into orbit

A Ukrainian-designed and manufactured rocket engine helped to successfully place the European Space Agency’s Earth Explorer Aeolus satellite into orbit last Wednesday. Made in Dnipro by Pivdenmash, the RD-848P engine powered the fourth stage of the rocket, which was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Weighing 1.3 tons, the Aeolus satellite is to help the wind energy industry by measuring ground wind speeds, using laser technology to create 3D maps of the earth’s surface winds. After five successful years with the Dnipro engine maker, Italy’s Avio SpA, extended their contact with Pivdenmash in 2017 to supply engines for the Vega launch vehicle through 2020.