AIM Heads For Orbit

NASA's AIM spacecraft is beginning its two-year mission after a flawless ride to Earth orbit aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket.

By Mars Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published April 25, 2007

NASA's AIM spacecraft is beginning its two-year mission after a flawless ride to Earth orbit aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket. Launch took place at 1:26 PDT. Launch operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California ran smoothly today, with no technical or weather issues causing concern.

The AIM mission is the first dedicated to exploring mysterious ice clouds that dot the edge of space in Earth's polar regions. These clouds have grown brighter and more prevalent in recent years and some scientists suggest that changes in these clouds may be the result of climate change.

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Mars Daily Editorial Team

The Mars Daily Editorial Team produces content across our two editorial pillars: space industry news and Mind & Meaning. We cover launches, missions, satellites, defense, and the technology of getting humans to space, alongside the psychology of ambition, isolation, and meaning under extremes. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Mars Daily takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.