| |
April 25, 2007
NASA'S AIM MISSION SOARS TO THE EDGE OF SPACE
NASA's
Aeronomy of Ice in the
Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft, the first mission dedicated to the
exploration of
mysterious ice clouds that dot the edge of space in Earth's polar
regions,
successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.,
at 1:26 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, April
25.
The mission will study clouds that are noctilucent, meaning they can be
seen
from the ground only at night, when they are illuminated by sunlight no
longer
visible from the Earth's surface.
"The successful AIM launch initiates an exciting new era in
understanding
how noctilucent clouds form and why they vary," said Principal
Investigator James M. Russell, III, of Hampton
University
in Hampton,
Va.
"The coordinated AIM measurements will provide the first focused and
comprehensive data set needed to unravel the mysteries of these clouds."
Noctilucent clouds are increasing in number, becoming brighter and are
occurring at lower latitudes than ever before. "Such variations suggest
a
connection with global change," said Russell. "If true, it means that
human influences are affecting the entire atmosphere, not just the
region near
the Earth's surface."
The Stargazer L-1011 aircraft released a Pegasus XL rocket at a drop
point over
the Pacific Ocean, 100 miles offshore west-southwest of Point Sur,
Calif. AIM
was launched at an azimuth of 192.5 degrees into a circular polar orbit
of 375
miles with an inclination of 97.7 degrees.
At approximately 1:36 p.m., communications from a Tracking Data and
Relay
Satellite confirmed spacecraft separation, and the solar arrays
deployed
autonomously soon thereafter.
The spacecraft was declared operating nominally at approximately 2:44
p.m.,
when it passed over the Svalbard, Norway,
ground station. Spacecraft
bus commissioning activities will be performed during the next six days
while
controllers verify satisfactory performance of all spacecraft
subsystems.
Throughout a 30-day check-out period, all the spacecraft subsystems and
instruments will be evaluated and compared to their performance during
ground
testing to ensure satisfactory operation in the space environment. The
instruments will maintain their protective covers to shield the near
pristine
optical surfaces from contamination while the spacecraft outgases
volatile materials.
Fourteen days after launch, the optical covers will be removed in
sequence by
ground commands, and the instruments will begin scientific operations.
During the next two years, AIM scientists will methodically address
each of six
fundamental objectives that will provide critical information needed to
understand cloud formation and behavior.
"This mission has many firsts, including that Hampton University
is the first historically black college and university to have the
principle
investigator and total mission responsibility for a NASA satellite
mission," said Program Executive Victoria Elsbernd, NASA Headquarters,
Washington.
NASA's Kennedy
Space Center, Fla.,
is responsible for launch
vehicle/spacecraft integration and launch countdown management. NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md.,
is responsible for the overall AIM mission management in collaboration
with Hampton
University,
the University
of Colorado,
Boulder, and
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University,
Blacksburg.
Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va.,
is responsible for providing the Pegasus XL launch service to NASA.
AIM is the ninth small-class mission under NASA's Explorer Program,
which
provides frequent flight opportunities for world-class scientific
investigations
from space within the heliophysics and astrophysics science areas.
For
more information about the AIM
mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aim
##
Contact:
Cynthia O'Carroll
NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center
301-286-4647
This text is
derived from:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/apr/HQ_07092_AIM_launch.html
Recommend this Article to a Friend
Back to: News |
