 AIM (Explorer 90) spacecraft | |
| Names | Explorer 90 AIM SMEX |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Atmospheric research |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2007-015A |
| SATCAT no. | 31304 |
| Website | aim |
| Mission duration | 26 months (planned) 15 years and 11 months (final) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XC |
| Spacecraft type | Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere |
| Bus | LEOStar-2 |
| Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
| Launch mass | 197 kg (434 lb) [1] |
| Dimensions | 1.4 × 1.1 m (4 ft 7 in × 3 ft 7 in) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 April 2007, 20:26:03 UTC |
| Rocket | Pegasus-XL (F38) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, Stargazer Runway 12/30 |
| Contractor | Orbital Sciences Corporation |
| Entered service | 2007 |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | March 13, 2023 |
| Decay date | August 19, 2024 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 552 km (343 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 559 km (347 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.90° |
| Period | 95.63 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE) Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE) | |
Explorer program | |
The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM or Explorer 90) was a NASA satellite launched in 2007 to conduct a planned 26-month study of noctilucent clouds (NLCs).[2] It is the ninetieth Explorer program mission and is part of the NASA-funded Small Explorer program (SMEX).
In March 2023, NASA announced that battery power on the spacecraft had declined below the level needed to sustain operation. The spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere in August 2024[3]
- ^ ESA. "AIM (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere)". Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ "NASA AIM web page". 6 March 2015.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "NASA's AIM Mission Ends Operational Support". NASA. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
