aim press kit

8/7/2019 AIM Press Kit

1/33

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov


2/33

Table o Contents

AIM Media Contacts 5

Media Services Inormation 6

Media Briengs 7

AIM Mission News Release 8

AIM Quick Facts 0

AIM Launch Day Events 2

Pegasus Launch Prole

AIM Fact Sheet 4

AIM Mission Q & A 5

AIM at the Edge o Space 2

AIM Spacecrat 26

AIM Instruments 27

Pegasus Launch Vehicle 0

AIM Mission Biographies


3/33

5

AIM Media Contacts

NASA Headquarters

Dwayne Brown/Tabatha Thompson

Policy/Program Management

202/58-726/895

dwaynecbrown@nasagov

tabathathompson-@nasagov

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Cynthia M OCarroll

Public Aairs

0/286-4647

40/507-0958 cell

cynthiamocarroll@nasagov

Steanie Misztal

Goddard TV, AIM Producer

0/286-6049steaniemisztal@nasagov

NASA Kennedy Space Center

George H Diller

Launch Operations

2/867-2468

georgehdiller@nasagov

Hampton University

Yuri Rodgers Milligan

Director o University Relations

757/727-525

yurimilligan@hamptonuedu

Nina Stickles

Public Relations Specialist

757/727-5457

ninastickles@hamptonuedu

Orbital Science Corporation

Barron Beneski

Vice President, Corporate Communications

70/406-5528

beneskibarron@orbitalcom


4/33

6

Media Services Inormation

AIM Launch Time: AIM is scheduled to launch at 4:26:49 pm EDT (:26:49 pm PDT) on April 25, 2007 The

Stargazer aircrat that will carry the Pegasus rocket will take o at :25 pm EDT (2:25 pm PDT) rom Vandenberg

Aireld at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cali

NASA News Center/AIM Status Reports

The NASA AIM News Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base KSC will open on L-2 days and reached at 805-605-05Recorded status reports will be available beginning on L-5 days which may be dialed at 805-74-269

Launch Media Credentials or Vandenberg Air Force Base

Accreditation requests to cover the prelaunch press conerence and the launch o AIM may be made through the 0th

Space Wing Public Aairs Oce at 805-606-595

NASA Television Inormation

The prelaunch press conerence and mission science brieng will begin at pm PDT (4 pm EDT) on April 24

Launch coverage will begin at noon PDT ( pm EDT) on April 25

In the continental United States, NASA Television is carried by an MPEG-2 digital C-band signal on AMC-6, at 72degrees west longitude, Transponder 7C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization In Alaska and Hawaii programming is on

an MPEG-2 digital C-band signal accessed via satellite AMC-7, transponder 8C, 7 degrees west longitude, 4060

MHz, vertical polarization

A Digital Video Broadcast compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder is required or reception Analog NASA TV is no

longer available

NASA TV audio o AIM events will be available on the V circuits that may be reached by dialing: 2-867-220,

-240, -260, - 75

For NASA TV inormation and schedules, visit: http://wwwnasagov/ntv

Internet Inormation

More inormation on NASAs AIM mission, including an electronic copy o this press kit, press releases, act sheets,

status reports, animations, and photos can be ound at:

http://wwwnasagov/AIM


5/33

7

Media Briefngs

Pre-launch L-14 Media Briefng: held by Telecon on April

Pre-launch L-1 Media Briefng: A prelaunch press conerence and mission brieng, to be carried live on NASA

Television, will begin at pm PDT (4 pm EDT) on April 24 in the conerence room o the NASA-KSC Resident Oce

at Vandenberg Air Force Base

Participating in the prelaunch press conerence will be:

Vicki Elsbernd, AIM Program Executive, NASA Headquarters, Washington

Omar Baez, NASA Launch Director/NASA Launch Manager, Kennedy Space Center, Fla

Bryan Baldwin, Pegasus Launch Vehicle Program Director, Orbital Sciences Corporation, McClean, Va

Mike McGrath, AIM Project Manager, Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics, University o Colorado-

Boulder, Co

Captain Damon Vorhees, Launch Weather Ocer, US Air Force 0th Weather Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force

Base, Cali

Mission Science Briefng: will immediately ollow the L- Pre-Launch brieng Panelists may include:

Mary Mellott, AIM Program Scientist, NASA Headquarters, WashingtonJames Russell III, AIM Principal Investigator, Hampton University, Hampton, Va

Scott Bailey, AIM Deputy Principal Investigator, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va


6/33

8

AIM Mission News Release

Dwayne Brown/Tabatha Thompson

Headquarters, Washington April , 2007

202-58-726/202-58-895

Cynthia OCarroll

Goddard Space Flight Center, Md0-286-4647

Nina Stickles

Hampton University, Hampton, Va

757-727-5457

RELEASE: 07-084

NASA AIMS TO CLEAR UP MYSTERY OF ELUSIVE CLOUDS AT EDGE OF SPACE

WASHINGTON - NASA is preparing to launch the Aeronomy o Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecrat, the rstmission dedicated to exploration o mysterious ice clouds that dot the edge o space in Earths 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 o climate change

The rst opportunity or launch is on Wednesday, April 25 rom Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cali, aboard a Pegasus

launch vehicle

AIM will conduct the rst detailed probe o this unusual phenomenon typically observed approximately 50 miles above

the Earths surace in the mesosphere The mesosphere is the region just above the stratosphere Researchers know

very little about how these polar mesospheric clouds orm, why they are being seen at lower latitudes than ever beore

or why they have recently grown brighter and more requent

These clouds are indicators o conditions in the upper reaches o the Earths atmosphere, and are an important link

in the chain o processes that result in the deposition o solar energy into Ear ths atmosphere, said Mary Mellott, AIM

program scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington AIM will provide an understanding o how and why these clouds

orm, an important contribution toward the NASA goals o understanding the undamental physical processes o our

space environment and how the habitability o planets is aected by the interaction o planetary magnetic elds and

atmospheres with solar variability

The clouds are noctilucent, meaning they can be seen rom the ground only at night, when they are illuminated by

sunlight no longer visible rom the Earths surace The brightest o these clouds are now known to be primarily

composed o water ice Their seasonal liecycle is controlled by complex interactions between temperature, watervapor, solar activity, atmospheric chemistry and small particles on which the cloud crystals orm Human-induced

actors such as carbon dioxide cause a warming in the lower atmosphere but a cooling in the mesosphere

The clouds orm in the coldest part o the Earths atmosphere at the summer season in the polar regions In the

northern hemisphere they begin appearing in mid-May and last through mid-August, in the southern hemisphere

beginning mid-November and lasting through mid-March


7/33

9

AIM Mission News Release

The occurrence o these clouds at the edge o space and what causes them to vary is not understood, said AIM

principal investigator James Russell III, Hampton University, Hampton, Va One theory is that the cloud particles

grow on seeds o meteoric dust or dust loted up rom below AIM will provide the comprehensive data needed to test

current theories or cloud ormation or develop new ones, and allow researchers to build tools to predict how they will

change in the uture

AIM will be comprised o three instruments: the Solar Occultation or Ice Experiment; the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size

Experiment; and the Cosmic Dust Experiment The satellite will simultaneously measure air pressure and temperature,

moisture content and cloud dimensions, providing data needed to determine the role o polar mesospheric clouds as

an important indicator o the planets changing climate

The clouds appear to be a relatively recent phenomenon, rst reported in the late 9th century shortly ater the volcanic

eruption on the Indonesian island o Krakatoa The rst daytime observations o the clouds were made by satellite in

969 Regular space-based observations began in 982 with NASAs Solar Mesosphere Explorer using instruments

primarily designed or other purposes

This Small Explorer mission is a good example o the huge science returns we can get or a relatively small costinvestment, said Vicki Elsbernd, program executive or the AIM mission, NASA Headquarters

For more inormation about NASA and the AIM mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aim

-end-


8/33

0

AIM Quick Facts

NASAs Aeronomy o Ice in the Mesosphere is led by Hampton University, Hampton, Va AIM is a two-year mission to

study Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), the highest clouds in our atmosphere that orm an icy layer 50 miles above

the Earths surace at the edge o space

Launch Date/Time: April 25 at 4:26:49 pm EDT (:26:49 pm PDT)

Launch Window: 4:2:4 pm - 4:0:0 pm EDT, :2:4 pm - :0:0 pm PDTFor a 24-hour launch slip the, launch time/launch window remains the same

Aircrat/ Take-o time: April 25 at :8:49 pm EDT (2:28:49 pm PDT)

Take-o Window: :25:4 pm :2:0 pm EDT, 2:25:4 pm 2:2:0 pm PDT

Launch sequence o events

Launch + 5 seconds Stage ignition

Launch + :2 minutes Stage 2 ignition

Launch + 2:07 minutes Fairing separation

Launch + 7:04 minutes Stage ignition

Launch + 0: minutes Payload separation; automatic sequence started to acquire TDRS communication,stabilize spacecrat, deploy solar array

Launch + 76 minutes First ground station contact, Svalbard Norway

Launch + 85 minutes Spacecra t declared to be nominal

Mass o Instruments 64Kg

Mass o Spacecrat and Instruments 97 Kg

Average Power Consumption o Spacecrat 26 Watts

Communication Subsystem S band

Command Uplink Rate at 2 kbs

Two Down Link Rates 8 Kbs TDRSS low rate; 2Mbs normal operations

Command Data & Handling Subsystem

Radiation Hardened RAD 6K Processor Running at 65 Mhz

Attitude Control Subsystem Axis Stabilized

Propulsion Fuel No Propulsion on S/C

Science Instruments

Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE): built by Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) at Utah

State University

Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS): built by the Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)at the University o Colorado-Boulder

Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE): built by the Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the

University o Colorado-Boulder

Science Data Volume: ~ Gbits per day; 50 hours worth o storage in PMC season


9/33

AIM Quick Facts

Orbit Confgurations: near circular sun-synchronous orbit; orbit inclination of 97772 O25; orbit altitude

of 600km

Spacecrat Bus: LEOStar-2; Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va

Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, VaMission Specifc Items:

SotRide Isolation system

8 separation system

Clampband radial retraction system

Two 42-pin electrical connectors

Thermal paint applied to orward ring and brackets

Quick-disconnect GN2 battery cooling and instrument purge

Standard airing access door or payload

Connector covers or payload side o separation system

Aircrat: Stargazer L-0; Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va

In-orbit Check-out period: approximately 0 Days

Mission Lietime: 2 years

Mission Operations Center: Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University o

Colorado-Boulder

Project Data Center: Department o Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Hampton University

Mission Management: AIM is a NASA mission managed by the Explorers Program Oce at NASAs GoddardSpace Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md The Principal Investigator is Dr James M Russell o the Center or Atmospheric

Sciences at Hampton University, Hampton, Va

Cost: approximately $40M including the launch vehicle

Related Web sites:

http://wwwnasagov/aim

http://aimhamptonuedu/

http://wwworbitalcom

http://laspcoloradoedu/

http://wwwgats-inccom


10/33

2

AIM Launch Day Events

Unlike other rocket launches, the Pegasus XL launch vehicle is carried alot by an L-0 carrier aircrat and released

rom the planes underbelly at a designated drop point and time For Pegasus launches, launch time is considered

the drop time, or the time when the Pegasus is released rom the aircrat

Several key countdown events will occur during the launch countdown

Approximately two hours beore takeo o the L-0 carrier aircrat and its payload, the ground communications and

power are disconnected between the aircrat and the hot pad portion o the runway

About hal an hour later, i tower clearance has been granted, the L-0 rolls to the end o the runway and the chase

planes are notied

At L-:0 hours, the Ground Launch Team is polled to determine i the L-0 is ready or takeo I all team members

report a go, the aircrat takes o minutes later

Thirty-six minutes beore the drop, the carrier aircrat begins a turn, fying under the drop point About ten minutes

later, the L-0 pilot reports any turbulence, winds or clouds

The nal weather brieng takes place about eight minutes beore the drop Three minutes later, the launch team is

polled to determine nal launch readiness The terminal count begins one minute later, at L-4 minutes

In the nal 90 seconds beore Pegasus perorms the drop, the pilot acquires the necessary launch heading and the

Pegasus n battery is activated at L-45 seconds

Ten seconds beore the drop, the launch conductor gives the ocial go or launch When the clock ticks down to T-0,

the Pegasus is released rom the L-0 aircrat


11/33

Pegasus Launch Profle


12/33

NASA

facts

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

AIM For The Clouds

FS-2006-5-079-GSFC (rev. 10/06) www.nasa.gov

AIM is a two-year mission to study Polar Mesospheric Clouds

(PMCs), the Earths highest clouds, which orm an icy mem-

brane 50 miles (80.4 km) above the surace at the edge ospace.

These clouds, which are visible rom the ground with the

naked eye, orm in the late spring and summer at high

latitudes and have been seen or over a century, reecting

the Suns light in the twilight sky. While one and the same

phenomenon, they are called Noctilucent Clouds (NLCs) when

observed rom the ground at twilight and PMCs when viewed

rom space platorms with instruments that can sense their

presence at any time o the night or day. Previous satellites

have inerred the presence o PMCs but were not designed to

determine their properties.

The PMCs, believed to be made o rozen ice crystals,

orm in the summer polar region in the coldest place in theatmosphere 50 miles (80.4 km) above the Earths surace.

Noctilucent Clouds were frst observed in 1885 by an amateur

astronomer and have been becoming brighter, more requent

and appear to be moving to lower latitudes in recent years.

The primary goal o the AIM mission is to explain why PMCs

orm in the frst place and what is causing the mysterious

changes in their behavior.

The AIM satellite carries three state-o-the-art instruments:

Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS), Solar Occultation

For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) and the Cosmic Dust Experiment

(CDE). Each will take precise measurements o NLCs and

related parameters in the Earths upper atmosphere.

CIPS has our cameras positioned at dierent angles, allowing

scientists a 2-D look at the clouds as the satellite passes and

looks back at them. Multiple views o the clouds rom dierent

angles allow a determination o the sizes o the ice particles

that make up the cloud. The cameras will provide panoramic

PMC images o the polar cap daily.

SOFIE will use solar occultation to measure cloud particles,

temperature and atmospheric gases involved in orming the

clouds. The instrument observes chemicals that are involved

in PMC ormation. It will provide the most accurate and

comprehensive simultaneous look to date o ice particles and

chemicals within the clouds as well as o the environment inwhich the clouds orm.

CDE records the amount o space dust that enters the atmo-

sphere rom the cosmos. It will allow scientists to determine

the role the particles have in PMC ormation.

By observing the PMCs, chemicals and small dust particles or

at least two years, the AIM mission is designed to answer the

most important questions about the origin o these mysterious

clouds.

AIM is 55 inches tall and 43 inches wide and weighs 430

pounds. Once in orbit, solar arrays will deploy to power the

satellite. The satellite will be launched rom Vandenberg Air

Force Base, Cali., on a Pegasus-XL launch vehicle to its orbit373 miles (600 km) above Earth.

AIM is a NASA-unded SMall EXplorers (SMEX) mission

managed by the Explorers Program Ofce at Goddard Space

Flight Center, Md. The mission is led by the Principal Investi-

gator rom the Center or Atmospheric Sciences at Hampton

University in Va. The Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space

Physics (LASP), University o Colorado Boulder, is building

the CIPS and CDE instruments. LASP also provides technical

management or the AIM mission and will control the satellite

ater launch. The Space Dynamics Laboratory, Utah State

University, is building the SOFIE instrument. Other research

institutions involved include Virginia Polytechnic Institute and

State University, Blacksburg, Va; University o Colorado-Boul-

der, Boulder, Colo.; Utah State University, North Logan, Utah;Gats, Inc., Newport News, Va; the Naval Research Labora-

tory, Wash, DC; George Mason University, Fairax, Va.; and

the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge UK. Orbital Sciences

Corporation, Dulles, Va, designed, manuactured and tested

the AIM spacecrat. Orbital will also provide the Pegasus

launch vehicle.

For additional inormation, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aim

http://aim.hamptonu.edu/


13/33

5

AIM Mission Q & A

What is AIM?

AIM is an acronym or Aeronomy o Ice in the Mesosphere Aeronomy is a science that deals with the physics and

chemistry o the upper atmosphere o planets

What is NASAs AIM Mission?

AIM is a two-year mission to study Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), the highest clouds in our atmosphere,

that orm an icy layer 50 miles above the Earths surace at the edge o space Over the course o its two-year

mission, AIM will collect the data needed to address the undamental question o why these clouds orm and vary

The mission will document or the rst time, the entire complex lie cycle o these clouds With this inormation,

scientists will be able to resolve many o the mysteries about how these clouds orm and be better able to predict

how they will change in the uture

What are the mission science goals?

The goal o the AIM mission is to determine why PMCs orm and vary

What is unique about this mission?

AIM is the rst satellite mission dedicated to the study o Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) These clouds are

important because it is believed that they may be indicators o climate change in the upper atmosphere They

usually exist at high latitudes in the summer near 8 km (50 miles) above the Earth surace They are special

because they are visible in the night sky ater sunset Prior to 885, these clouds had never been observed Today

they are a common phenomenon in many locations and they are changing; they are becoming more requent,

they are brighter and they are being observed at lower latitudes than ever beore We need to understand what

is causing these changes and allowing these clouds to become more commonplace In order to do that we need

to understand why these clouds orm in the rst place There are many mysteries about PMC ormation The

atmosphere at the ormation altitude is 00,000 times dryer than the Sahara desert It is a hostile environment or

clouds AIM will measure the relevant environmental conditions o the upper atmosphere as well as microphysical

properties o the clouds to answer why PMCs orm and why they vary

What are the primary objectives o the mission?

PMC Microphysics: What is the global morphology o PMC particle size, occurrence requency and dependence

upon H2O and temperature?

Gravity Wave Eects: Do gravity waves (GWs) enhance PMC ormation by perturbing the required temperature

or condensation and nucleation?

Temperature Variability: How does dynamical variability control the length o the cold summer mesopause season,

its latitudinal extent and possible interhemispheric asymmetry?

Hydrogen Chemistry: What are the relative roles o gas phase chemistry, surace chemistry, condensation/

sublimation and dynamics in determining the variability o water vapor in the polar mesosphere?

PMC Nucleation Environment: Is PMC ormation controlled solely by changes in the rost point or do extraterrestrial

orcings such as cosmic dust infux or ionization sources play a role?

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A


14/33

6

AIM Mission Q & A

Long-Term Mesospheric Change: What is needed to establish a physical basis or the study o mesospheric

climate change and its relationship to global change?

What are Noctilucent Clouds?

Noctilucent clouds are the highest clouds in our atmosphere, occrring 50 miles above the surace, mostly in

polar regions in the spring and summer o each hemisphere In recent years, they have been observed as low as40 degrees North which is the approximate latitude o Utah and Colorado They are reerred to as night shining

since they are visible rom the ground when illuminated by sunlight rom below the horizon while lower layers o

the atmosphere and Earth surace are in the Earths shadow

What are some theories that AIM will address concerning Polar Mesospheric Clouds?

There are several theories about PMCs that will be addressed by AIM For example a leading idea is that cosmic

dust is key to PMC ormation AIM will address this theory with cosmic dust measurements made by a dust

impact measuring devise on the top o the satellite and by cosmic dust observations made in the altitude region

where the clouds exist Another theory is that cold temperatures and water vapor are the driving orces or cloud

ormation but the relative importance o these variables is unknown Still another theory is that gravity waves

must play a major role in PMC existence because these waves appear to be refected in the characteristics o theclouds, but the mechanisms and importance o these waves relative to other ormation causes is unknown

What are the instruments on this satellite and how do they contribute to the overall mission?

The AIM satellite carries three state-o-the-art instruments: Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS), Solar

Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE) and the Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE) Each will take precise

measurements o NLCs and related parameters in the Earths upper atmosphere

CIPS has our cameras positioned at dierent angles, allowing scientists a 2-D look at the clouds as the satellite

passes and looks orward, back and to the sides at them Multiple views o the clouds rom dierent angles allows

a determination to be made o the sizes o the ice particles that make up the cloud The cameras will provide

panoramic PMC images o the polar cap daily

SOFIE will use solar occultation to measure cloud particles, temperature and atmospheric gases involved in

orming the clouds The instrument will reveal the recipe o chemicals believed to be involved in PMCs ormation

It will provide the most accurate and comprehensive look to date o ice particles and chemicals within the clouds

as well as o the environment in which the clouds orm

CDE records the amount o space dust that enters the atmosphere rom the cosmos It will allow scientists to

assess the role the particles have in PMC ormation

By observing the PMCs, chemicals and small dust particles or at least two years, the AIM mission is designed

to answer the most important questions about the origin o these mysterious clouds

Do researchers believe that there is a connection between PMCs and Global Change?

Scientists have pointed out a possible connection with global change because the clouds are becoming brighter,

occurring more requently with time and they are being observed at lower latitudes than ever beore One plausible

explanation is that temperatures where the clouds orm have become colder with time due to the build up in the

lower atmosphere o greenhouse gases rom human activities High in the atmosphere, the greenhouse-gas

buildup results in cooling

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A


15/33

7

AIM Mission Q & A

AIM will test this hypothesis by providing a clearer understanding o why polar mesospheric clouds orm and

how they respond to short-term environmental changes The comprehensive data rom the mission will allow

scientists to build computer simulations that reproduce the observed changes in these clouds With these tools

in hand, scientists will be able to predict uture changes in the clouds and see to what extent they are an indicator

o global climate change

I one o the instruments were to ail could you still accomplish the mission?

The three AIM instruments were selected because o their ability to provide important data required to address

the six science objectives Some redundancy is included in the measurements both or cross checks between

instruments and to provide additional measurement coverage should data rom an instrument be lost CIPS and

SOFIE or example both measure PMC particle size while SOFIE and CDE both measure cosmic dust in dierent

orms The prime mission requires that data rom SOFIE and CIPS be collected

What new technologies are used on the spacecrat?

SOFIE uses a science enabling silicon carbide detector technology or ozone measurements that has high

sensitivity at low ultraviolet wavelengths while at the same time has the ability to reject longer wavelength light

that would otherwise render the measurement virtually impossible

What will be going on with the spacecrat between orbital insertion and when the spacecrat

begins its primary mission?

The spacecrat transmitter is turned on immediately ater payload separation rom the third stage o the Pegasus

rocket and telemetry signals start immediately being sent to the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System

(TDRSS) About a minute ater separation primary and redundant commands are issued sequentially to deploy the

solar panels to power the spacecrat During this time, the magnetic torquer bars and spacecrat reaction wheels

will null out any residual motion caused by rocket motions and the separation event Approximately 82 minutes

ater separation, the attitude control system transitions to the sun pointing sae hold condition signaling start o a

six day spacecrat commissioning activity to veriy satisactory perormance o all spacecrat subsystemsHow long ater launch will the spacecrat begin science operations?

SOFIE instrument turn-on and checkout will occur rom L+7 to L+4 at which time it will begin science operations

Similar activities will occur or CIPS between L+ to L+5 and or CDE rom L+5 to L+7

What is the orbit o the satellite and how is it relevant to collecting the appropriate science?

AIM will be placed in a 600km sun synchronous noon/midnight orbit This orbit will concentrate the SOFIE

measurements o atmospheric limb absorption o sunlight in the polar regions where most PMCs orm The orbit

is also well suited or PMC data collection using the sub-satellite viewing CIPS high spatial resolution cameras

Who provided the spacecrat bus and the launch vehicle?

Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles Va, provided the AIM spacecrat bus, and perormed instrument integration,

satellite environmental testing and launch operations AIM will be the th satellite built using Orbitals LeoStar-2

bus design The launch vehicle is an Orbital Pegasus XL rocket which will be dropped rom the Stargazer aircrat

(Lockheed Tristar L-0) at a pre-determined location o the Caliornia coast

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A


16/33

8

AIM Mission Q & A

How will the AIM science beneft society?

It is clear that PMCs are changing; they are becoming more requent, brighter and they are being seen at lower

latitudes than ever beore This is science that the public can see and the changes are raising questions about

human infuences on our atmosphere All these changes are signs that a distant and raried part o our atmosphere

is being altered and we do not understand how, why or what it means These observations suggest a connection

with global change in the lower atmosphere and could represent an early warning that our Earth environment isbeing altered

Does the water vapor deposited into the atmosphere rom Space Shuttle exhaust contribute to

the ormation o NLCs?

There is clear evidence that water vapor rom shuttle exhaust can be transported to the polar regions and then lead

to the ormation o NLCs What is unclear is the relative importance o Shuttle eects versus other causes o NLC

ormation The eect cannot be dominant because the number o shuttle fights in northern summer are sparse

over the history o the Shuttle program since its start in 98 and the variation in the number o fights does not

correlate with the variation in PMC requency o occurrence AIM will measure the amount o ice present over the

polar regions each day and rom this, the enhancement o ice in response to shuttle launches can be determinedThus AIM will quantiy the role o shuttle exhaust in NLC ormation

Do noctilucent clouds orm on other planets?

Noctilucent clouds have been observed several times in the atmosphere o Mars The clouds have a somewhat

similar appearance and are visible in the night sky because o their high altitude, just as on Earth The primary

dierence is that on Earth the noctilucent clouds are composed o water ice On Mars the clouds are composed

o ice made rom CO2 ice

Who owns the AIM spacecrat? Is it best described as a Hampton University satellite or a NASA

satellite?

The Explorers Program Oce at Goddard Space Flight Center unded the AIM mission that is led by the PrincipalInvestigator, James Russell o Hampton University It is a NASA satellite but Hampton University is the prime

contractor

What are NASAs Strategic Goals or Heliophysics and how are they related to AIM science?

Understand Our Home in Space Discover and understand the response o the Earth and near-Earth space

to solar variability; Discover the origins o the Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs); Determine the response o

PMCs to climate change in the mesosphere AIM bridges the disciplines o planetary, space and Earth sciences:

Planetary sciences because high altitude noctilucent clouds have been observed in the Martian atmosphere and

understanding their ormation in Earths atmosphere will help in understanding their existence in the Martian

atmosphere; space science because PMCs occur literally on the edge o space in Earths atmosphere and cosmicdust is a leading theory or the source o nucleation particles needed or their ormation; and Earth science because

the lower atmosphere is the primary source o water vapor needed or cloud ormation in the high atmosphere and

global changes in the lower atmosphere are likely connected with PMC changes observed in recent years

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A


17/33

9

AIM Mission Q & A

How does AIM science ft into NASAs research?

NASA is building a Great Heliophysics Observatory composed o a distributed system o environmental science

missions rom the Sun to Earths upper atmosphere, beginning at the mesosphere extending out to the edge o

the local interstellar medium AIM, which is scheduled or launch this month, will determine why PMCs are ound

at such high altitudes, ~50 miles, and will provide data needed to assess the impact o climate change on their

behavior AIM also provides a new data source that is scientically synergistic with the data rom the TIMEDsatellite that has been operating in orbit since January 2002 Together these satellites provide a bridge between

past and uture missions

Great Observatory measurements will provide inormation on changes in actors aecting mesospheric climate

as well as ionizing radiation that may cause the ormation o condensation center AIM and the Great Observatory

usher in a new era or NASAs Heliophysics Program and its eorts to understand how the sun infuences the

upper atmosphere

How will the AIM mission contribute to the International Polar year that began in March 2007

and continues through February 2009?

The AIM mission coincides with the two-year worldwide scientic communitys International Polar Year (IPY)and the mission is expected to make unique contributions to IPYs objective o advancing polar research AIM

will observe two complete polar mesospheric cloud seasons over both poles, documenting or the rst time the

entire complex lie cycle o PMCs

AIM will conduct the rst detailed exploration o Earths unique and elusive clouds that are literally on the edge o

space Very little is known about how these clouds orm over the poles, why they are being seen at lower latitudes

than ever beore, or why they have been growing brighter and more requent Some scientists have suggested

that these polar mesospheric clouds may be the direct result o human-induced climate change AIM is another

example o NASAs pioneering work to create cutting-edge technologies or exploring the poles that reveal a more

complete view o these remote regions than has ever been possible

How is the AIM mission managed?

AIM is the nineth Small Explorers mission under NASAs Explorer Program The program provides requent

fight opportunities or world-class scientic investigations rom space within heliophysics and astrophysics The

Explorers Program Oce at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md, manages this NASA-unded mission

The Principal Investigator or this mission is James M Russell III, who is a proessor and Co-Director o the

Center or Atmospheric Sciences at Hampton University, Hampton, Va Russell is assisted in his responsibilities

by Proessor Scott Bailey, AIM Deputy Principal Investigator at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va The Laboratory

or Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University o Colorado, Boulder, built two o the spacecrats three

instruments, manages the mission and will control the satellite ater launch The Space Dynamics Laboratory

o Utah State University, Logan, built the third instrument Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va, designed,manuactured and tested the AIM spacecrat

Why was Hampton University selected or this mission?

In 996, Hampton University ormed its Center or Atmospheric Sciences (CAS) The Center is led by two

scientists, Drs James M Russell III and M Patrick McCormick both ormerly o NASA, with a long history o

Q

A

Q

A

Q

Q

A


18/33

20

AIM Mission Q & A

leadership in remote sensing and scientic study o the Earths atmosphere Russell is the Principal Investigator

or AIM and his previous experiments have provided the observations upon which much o our knowledge o the

altitude regions where PMCs orm is based AIM is a logical step in a very successul progression o exploration

o the Earths atmosphere Russell assembled a world-class science team to address the AIM objectives, orming

key partnerships with institutions around the world to develop the spacecrat and instrumentation

What is Hampton Universitys role in the mission?

Hampton University proposed the mission to NASA, is leading the AIM mission, is the prime contractor or

NASA and is partnering with other organizations to provide the three instruments and the spacecrat, activities

to interace with the launch vehicle, data processing, data dissemination to the scientic community and data

archival ater the mission ends Dr James Russell o Hampton University will lead an international science team

to analyze the data and publish the results in conjunction with NASA Hampton University will also house the AIM

Project Data Center, which will serve as an archival center or the data and provide links to all other AIM data or

scientists worldwide

What is the role o Hampton University students in AIM?

Hampton University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), is the rst HBCU to have Principal Investigatorand total Mission lead responsibility or a NASA Satellite mission Founded in 868 to educate reed people, HU

has grown into a dynamic, progressive institution o higher education that is privately -endowed, non-prot, non-

sectarian and co-educational With the Universitys long history o educating youth and preparing them or the world

in which we live, AIM is just another step in this tradition by providing the opportunity or signicant HU student

training in carrying out satellite missions HU students will assist a team o experts in the design and implementation

o the science data system, inormation retrieval rom remote sensing instruments, instrument ground test data

evaluation, in-orbit perormance trending studies and operation o the AIM Project Data Center at HU

Where is the Mission Operations Center or AIM located?

The AIM Mission Operations Center (MOC) is located within the Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics(LASP), a research institution at the University o Colorado at Boulder The LASP acility, the operational systems

within it, and the fight team personnel meet the same stringent security standards that apply to NASAs own

satellite operations centers at GSFC and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

What is the role o the University o Colorado Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics in

the AIM mission?

The Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Sciences (LASP), Boulder, Colorado, is responsible or the project

management, development o two fight instruments and fight operation o the AIM observatory LASP will use

its existing multi-mission satellite operations acility and the hardware, sotware, procedures, and personnel that

are already in place or operating the QuikSCAT, ICESat, and SORCE satellites to operate AIM

What is Utah State Universitys involvement in the AIM mission?

Utah State Universitys Space Dynamics Laboratory designed, abricated, tested and integrated the SOFIE (Solar

Occultation or Ice Experiment) instrument, one o three AIM instruments being used to study polar mesospheric

clouds SOFIE will use solar occultation to measure atmospheric temperature, water vapor carbon dioxide,

methane, nitric oxide, ozone and aerosols

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A

Q

A


19/33

2

AIM Mission Q & A

How does GATS support the AIM mission?

GATS, Inc continues their long history o supporting NASA satellite missions by contributing to nearly every acet

o the AIM mission Larry Gordley, the ounder o GATS, is the Principal Investigator or the SOFIE instrument

and Mark Hervig is the Deputy Principal Investigator Working in collaboration with Hampton University, LASP

and SDL, GATS oversaw the SOFIE instrument design, development and calibration GATS will operate SOFIE in

orbit and process the data

The fight operations team will command SOFIE rom the GATS Payload Operations Center The fight ops team

developed the sotware or monitoring SOFIEs health and perormance, and used this sotware or ground

testing and calibration They made important contributions to mission requirements, interace designs and

science data processing

The SOFIE Data Processing Center at GATS will process, analyze and turn raw data rom the experiment into

the physical parameters needed by the science community Scientists and programmers at GATS are writing the

complex retrieval algorithms that will perorm these operations The data, once processed, will be available through

the AIM Project Data Center to researchers via interactive web-based visualization tools developed at GATS

With the heritage o six major NASA remote sensing missions behind them, GATS brings a wealth o experience tothe AIM mission In act, GATS has collaborated with Hampton University and most o the AIM par ticipants beore

on several other successul NASA missions Together they orm a well-seasoned and ecient team

Who are the other partners on this mission and what are their roles beore launch and ater

launch?

There are sixteen science investigators, listed below, who are responsible or the analysis o data rom the three

fight instruments

Q

A

Q

A

US Partners

Institution Investigator Role pre-launch Role post-launch

Virginia Tech Scott Bailey Deputy PI, Science Planning,

Mission Outreach

Deputy PI, science planning, CIPS

data analysis, mission outreach

University o

Colorado LASP

Mihly Hornyi CDE PI, Science Planning CDE coordination & analysis,

nucleation studies

Cora Randall Science Planning PMC Microphysics Studies,

data product validationDavid Rusch CIPS PI, Science Planning CIPS PI, CIPS data analysis,

data product validation

Gary Thomas Science Planning Data analysis

Bill McClintock CIPS instrument design

and calibration

CIPS on-orbit calibration

and data analysis


Hampton University Jim Russell PI, Science Planning, Mission

Design and Oversight

Coordinate all Science

Investigations, SOFIE data analysis


20/33

22

AIM Mission Q & A

US Partners


GATS, Inc Larry Gordley SOFIE PI, Science Planning SOFIE PI, SOFIE data analysis,


Mark Hervig SOFIE Deputy PI,

retrievals, dust studies

SOFIE Deputy PI, data analysis,


George Mason

University

Mike Summers Science Planning Hydrogen Chemistry Studies,


Utah State University Mike Taylor Science Planning Gravity wave studies,

CIPS data analysis

Naval Research Lab Steve Eckermann Science Planning Gravity wave studies

Chris Englert Science Planning Retrieval algorithm studies,

PMC properties

David Siskind Science Planning Temperature variability

studies, eects on PMCs,


Mike Stevens Science Planning Nucleation studies, data

product validation

International Partners

Institution Co-I Role pre-launch Role post-launch

British Antarctic Survey Pat Espy Science Planning Data product validation, studies

o nucleation & PMC properties


21/33

2

AIM at the Edge o Space

The Aeronomy o Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission is the rst detailed exploration o Earths unique and elusive

clouds that are literally on the edge o space Other space-based and ground-based measurements have probed

some aspects o this unusual phenomenon in Earths mesosphere (the region just above the stratosphere), but very

little is known about how these clouds orm over the poles, why they are being seen at lower latitudes than ever

beore, or why they have been growing brighter and more requent Some scientists have suggested that these polar

mesospheric clouds may be the direct result o human-induced climate change

Over the course o its two-year mission, AIM will help answer these questions by documenting or the rst time the

entire complex lie cycle o these clouds With this inormation, scientists will be able to resolve many o the mysteries

about how these clouds orm and be better able to predict how they will change in the uture

Quick Facts

Polar mesospheric clouds orm over both poles only during each hemispheres summer, which star ts in mid-May

in the north and November in the south The number o clouds and their brightness is highest toward the poles

Clouds are both more requent and brighter in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere They

are normally observed at altitudes o 8-84 kilometers (50 miles)

Polar mesospheric clouds, as they are known to those who study them rom satellite observations, are also oten

called noctilucent, or night shining, clouds This is because they are visible rom the ground when illuminated

by sunlight rom below the horizon while lower layers o the atmosphere are in the Earths shadow

The rst public report o noctilucent clouds was made in 885 by an amateur astronomer The rst observations

o the clouds in the daytime were made by a satellite in 969 Regular space-based observations began in

982 with NASAs Solar Mesosphere Explorer Space-based observations to date were made serendipitously by

instruments designed or other purposes

AIM will observe two complete polar mesospheric cloud seasons over both poles

Deciphering the Recipe for Polar Mesospheric Clouds

The ormation o polar mesospheric clouds at such high altitudes does not ollow conventional meteorological conceptso how clouds orm lower in the atmosphere One theory is that the cloud particles grow on seeds o volcanic or

meteoric dust These clouds appear to be a relatively recent phenomenon, being rst reported in the late 9th century

shortly ater the volcanic eruption at Krakatoa The brightest clouds are now known to be primarily composed o water

ice, and their seasonal liecycle is controlled by complex interactions between temperature, water vapor, solar activity,

atmospheric chemistry and small particles on which the cloud crystals orm

AIM will make simultaneous measurements o the main ingredients needed to unravel the role o natural actors

such as the solar cycle and meteorology in the ormation o these clouds rom the possible role o anthropogenic

actors such as carbon dioxide, which causes a warming in the lower atmosphere but a cooling in this region o the

atmosphere Ultimately, this research will provide the data needed to determine the role o polar mesospheric clouds

as an important indicator o our planets changing climate


22/33

24


Solar Cycle

Polar mesospheric clouds occur in the region where the sun rst interacts with Earths atmosphere, causing chemical

and thermal changes Solar radiation at this altitude can break apart water vapor molecules, thus reducing the amount

o water ice available to orm ice crystals in the clouds The solar ultraviolet radiation at work in this process is known

to vary with the -year solar cycle

Satellite observations have shown a pattern o increasing solar ultraviolet radiation ollowed by declining brightness

and requency o these clouds over two solar cycles But the change in solar activity occurs nearly a year beore

changes are seen in the clouds, indicating that the relationship is not a simple matter o direct cause and eect It is

not known why the two are so ar out o sync with each other

Water Vapor and Temperature

Three things are needed in order or these high-altitude clouds to orm: cold temperatures, water vapor and small

particles that provide suraces or water to condense Two o the leading suspects behind the recent changes in polar

mesospheric clouds are an increase o water vapor in the region and colder temperatures Climate models predict that

the result o increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would be warmer temperatures in the lower atmosphere,

where emitted radiation is trapped by the air above, but colder temperatures in the mesosphere where the radiation

is lost to space Colder temperatures would allow more icy cloud particles to orm Alternately, a buildup o water vapor

in the upper atmosphere could cause the same increase in polar mesospheric clouds By measuring water vapor,

temperature and the presence o clouds at the same time, AIM will allow scientists to isolate which o these actors is

the key driver o cloud ormation

Understanding the processes that control water vapor in the summer polar mesosphere will provide a basis or

understanding the ormation and evolution o these clouds Water vapor is transported upward into the polar summer

mesosphere rom the lower atmosphere It is also produced by the photochemical destruction o methane in the

stratosphere and mesosphere

There are ew direct measurements o water abundance along with polar mesospheric cloud properties in the region

where these clouds orm AIM will measure a comprehensive data set o water vapor and key chemicals that lead to

water ormation and that can be used as tracers o the general atmospheric motion These combined observations will

yield a detailed view o the movement and ormation o water vapor in this region o the atmosphere

One unusual source o mesospheric water vapor exhaust rom rocket engines was recently shown to be the

cause o an increase in Arctic polar mesospheric clouds (Geophysical Research Letters, M H Stevens et al, July

6, 2005) The exhaust plume rom an August 997 space shut tle launch moved northward to orm a burst o clouds

a week ater launch Water vapor rom rockets, however, is not thought to be a major contributor to the long-term

increase in these clouds

Cosmic Dust Particles

Like clouds in other parts o the atmosphere, one element required or polar mesopheric clouds to orm is tiny

particles on which water vapor can accumulate and grow into ice crystals Nearer to Earths surace clouds orm

rom cloud condensation nuclei that can be sea salt spray, desert dust, or other materials loted rom the surace

In the mesosphere it is thought that cosmic dust particles alling into the Earths atmosphere might serve this same

purpose, although this has not been conrmed AIM will be able to identiy how important the daily infux o cosmic


23/33

25


dust particles is in the liecycle o these clouds by measuring the amount and changes o dust in low-Earth orbit The

dust particles disintegrate as they enter the atmosphere below the spacecrat and reorm into minute smoke particles

that might serve as nuclei or water condensation

Instruments on the AIM spacecrat will measure the incoming dust, and this data will be used to estimate the average

number o condensation nuclei available in the mesosphere or cloud ormation Comparisons will be made betweenthe overall infux o cosmic dust and the occurrence and brightness o clouds in the same area to see i this cosmic

seeding is more or less important or cloud ormation than temperature, water vapor or other actors

A Canary in the Coal Mine for Global Change?

AIM will examine the relative contributions o solar and human-induced eects that cause change in the upper

atmosphere Scientists have pointed out a possible connection with global change because the clouds are becoming

brighter and occurring more requently with time and they are being observed at lower latitudes than ever beore One

plausible explanation is that temperatures where the clouds orm have become colder with time due to the build up

in the lower atmosphere o greenhouse gases rom human activities High in the atmosphere, the greenhouse-gas

buildup results in cooling

AIM will test this hypothesis by providing a clearer understanding o why polar mesospheric clouds orm and how they

respond to short-term environmental changes The comprehensive data rom the mission will allow scientists to build

computer simulations that reproduce the observed changes in these clouds With these tools in hand, scientists will

be able to predict uture changes in the clouds and see to what extent they are an indicator o global climate change

Timeline to Discovery

The three scientic instruments onboard AIM will begin to deliver images and data within a ew months ater launch,

which is currently scheduled or April 2007 The rst observations will be made o the Arctic polar mesospheric cloud

season during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere Scientists will then begin to analyze the data with

computer simulations o the mesosphere to better understand the many complex processes at work

Further Reading

Gary E Thomas, Are noctilucent clouds harbingers o global change in the middle atmosphere? Advances in Space

Research, vol 2, no 9, 200

Matthew T DeLand et al, A quarter-century o satellite polar mesospheric cloud observations, Journal o Atmospheric

and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol 68, 2006


24/33

26

AIM Spacecrat

This is the AIM spacecrat with the solar array ully deployed There are six separate solar array panels, which are

integrated into a single deployed wing In this orientation the nadir deck is pointed up towards the ceiling, and the

SOFIE and CIPS instruments are visible in the photo The photograph was taken in the clean room at the Orbital

Sciences Dulles, Va acility

Credit: Orbital Sciences Corporation


25/33

27

AIM Instruments

Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE)

SOFIE PI: Larry Gordley, GATS

Deputy SOFIE PI: Mark Hervig, GATS

Institutions: Built by Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) at Utah State

University GATS led the instrument design, and is providing the retrieval

algorithms, payload operations and data management

SOFIE is designed to measure polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs), temperature

and gas concentrations in the upper atmosphere PMCs are the highest o all

clouds and occur only in polar regions during summer, where temperatures

dip lower than anywhere else on Earth These elusive clouds are showing

hints o global climate change SOFIE is the rst satellite instrument targeting

these clouds and their environment The gases measured by SOFIEwater

vapor, ozone, carbon dioxide, methane and nitric oxideare the key species

governing chemistry and cloud ormation in this high-altitude region In

addition, SOFIE will collect the rst data characterizing the cosmic smoke

layer rom meteoroids vaporized by the atmosphere

Two essential techniques are used by SOFIE: solar occultation and dierential absorption radiometry Solar

occultation reers to viewing the Suns light through the Earths atmosphere As SOFIE orbits the Earth, it will watch

the Sun rise and set through the limb o the atmosphere Dierential absorption radiometry uses pairs o channels

tuned to dierent wavelengths Dierencing the signals rom these channels gives the extraordinary sensitivity needed

or sensing minute concentrations in the thin upper atmosphere

Another rst by SOFIE will be to use atmospheric reraction to accurately measure temperature By measuring the

amount the sun fattens near the horizon, the temperature prole can be extracted This has been done with GPS

satellites, but never beore using solar occultation


26/33

28

AIM Instruments

Cosmic Dust Experiment

CIPS PI: Mihaly Horanyi, LASP/CU

Institution: Built by the Laboratory or Atmospheric and

Space Physics (LASP) at the University o Colorado-Boulder

The Cosmic Dust Experiment will monitor the variability odust infux into our atmosphere

This is an in situ experiment, meaning it measures what is

happening at the location o the spacecrat, however the

characteristic lie time or an incoming micrometeorite rom

low Earth orbit until it burns up in the mesosphere is on the order o a minute Hence, CDE observations o the

temporal and spatial variability o the dust infux can be used to establish possible correlations with the observations

o NLC brightness and coverage

CDE is an impact dust detector based on thin permanently polarized oil sensors Each dust particle impact on the

lms generates a science event, where the time, channel number and the impact charge are recorded, in addition to allrelevant housekeeping data Using appropriate averages this can be turned into a time-dependent global map to show

the possible spatial and temporal variability o the amount o cosmic dust entering the atmosphere


27/33

29

Cloud Imaging and Particle Size Experiment (CIPS)

CIPS PI: Dave Rusch, LASP/CU

Instrument Scientist: Bill McClintock

Institution: Built by the Laboratory or Atmospheric and Space Physics

(LASP) at the University o Colorado-Boulder

The Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument on AIM is a panoramic

UV imager CIPS will provide images o the atmosphere at a variety o

scattering angles in order to determine cloud presence, provide the spatial

morphology o the clouds and constrain the parameters o the cloud particle

distribution CIPS will provide:

Panoramic imaging with a 20 x 80 eld-o-view

Scattered radiances rom PMCs

Rayleigh scattering inormation rom 55 km altitude to measure

atmospheric gravity wave activity and small scale variations in lower mesospheric ozone

Multiple exposures o individual clouds to derive PMC scattering phase unctions and detect spatial scales to

approximately 2 km

The instrument consists o a 2x2 array o cameras operating with a 5 nm pass band centered at 265 nm, each with

an overlapping FOV, and a resolution (looking downward) o 2 km The total FOV is 80 deg x 20 deg, centered at the

sub-satellite point, with the 20 deg axis along the orbit track

CIPS will search or clouds rom about 0 degrees latitude in the summer hemisphere over the pole and into the

night hemisphere The near-polar orbit o AIM and the cross-track FOV will cause the observation swaths to overlap

at latitudes higher than about 70 deg, so that nearly the entire polar cap will be mapped with 5-orbit per day

coverage For the rst time a morphology o PMC evolution throughout the entire season, and in both hemispheres,

will be achieved

AIM Instruments


28/33

0

Pegasus Launch Vehicle

Special Delivery: The Pegasus XL Rocket

The Pegasus XL was developed as an inexpensive way o launching small payloads into space The rocket specializes

in carrying satellites and experiments that weigh up to ,000 pounds into low-Earth orbit With the body o an oversize

model rocket and tail o an airplane, the Pegasus has three solid-uel rocket motors and a rather unique and economical

way o liting o

Pegasus rst leap into space is actually aboard Orbital Sciences L-0 Stargazer jet The Pegasus starts its

mission secured to the belly o the L-0, where its carried to the planned launch altitude Using the Stargazer again

and again saves money by eliminating the need or a stage motor to lit each Pegasus o o the ground

The Stargazer began lie as an Air Canada passenger jet beore it was whisked o to Cambridge, England, or conversion

into a fying launch pad While in England, the jets seats were removed, its wings reinorced and the Pegasus launch

systems installed

One o Pegasus greatest benets is its ability to be launched rom practically anywhere in the world With a conventional

rocket, the launch has to take place rom wherever the assembly and launch acilities are located However, in the case

o Pegasus, the launch can take place rom either its home base in Vandenberg, Cali, or rom a number o other

possible sites I another location is desired, the rocket can be partially or completely assembled in Caliornia and

fown to the launch site

Every Pegasus fight star ts with the rocket locked to the underside o the Stargazer The jet takes o and requires about

one hour to fy to the rockets launch altitude o 9,000 eet At that height, the Pegasus is released and allowed to

reeall or about ve seconds Then the rst stage motor res and accelerates the rocket to over 5,000 miles per hour

Ater 76 seconds, the rst stage motor burns out and the vehicle briefy coasts beore igniting its second stage rocket

at the 97-second mark Nearly 0 minutes later, the Pegasus has exhausted its stage two and three motors, reached a

top speed o nearly 7,000 mph, and climbed to an altitude o 460 miles Following the boost phase o the fight, the

spacecrat separates rom the Pegasus and glides o to begin its mission

Charlie Plain

NASAs John F Kennedy Space Center


29/33


Willis S. Jenkins, Jr., Explorers Program Executive,

NASA Headquarters

Willis Jenkins is a program executive in the Heliophysics Division o NASAs

Science Mission Directorate Within his role in the Explorer Program, Jenkins

is responsible or projects rom denition and ormulation through unding andaccomplishment o objectives Jenkins began working at Goddard Space Flight

Center in 994 and became a HQs program executive in 200

Jenkins earned his Bachelor o Science degree in electrical engineering rom

Northeastern University in Boston, Mass At age 5, Jenkins was accepted to a

program called A Better Chance (ABC) The program placed talented inner city

youth in schools with rigorous academic programs

Jenkins has garnered many accolades or his work, including the NASA Medal

or Exceptional Service He was nominated Black Engineer o the Year in 200

He also received the outstanding Proessional Excellence in Federal CareerAward, signed by Sen Barbara Mikulski o Maryland

Jenkins lives in Maryland with his wie o 22 years and their two teen daughters

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his amily, restoring antique

Buicks and mentoring children in the community

Vicki Elsbernd, AIM Program Executive,

NASA Headquarters

Vicki Elsbernd is the Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) Program Executive in theHeliophysics Division in the NASA HQ Science Mission Directorate She is

responsible or providing strategic management and oversight or all projects

in the STP Program including TIMED, STEREO, Solar-B, and Magnetospheric

Multiscale During her 6-year career with NASA, she has served as an

International Program Manager on the Space Station Program and as Program

Manager and Program Executive or various missions, including POES, GOES,

SAGE III, ACRIM, SOLSTICE, and NPP She holds a Bachelor o Science degree

and a Master o Science degree in Engineering and has received numerous

individual and group perormance awards, including the Goddard Space Flight

Centers Outstanding Leadership Award


30/33

2


Chris Savinell, AIM Mission Manager

Ater earning a Bachelor o Science degree in Physics and a Master o Science

degree in Measurement & Control rom Carnegie Mellon University, Mr Savinell

spent more than 5 years designing and managing the development o precision

instrumentation and equipment or a wide variety o applications or academia,private industry, and DOD contractors

Since joining NASA in 99, he has served as manager o several instruments

or missions such as the Earth Observing System and the Tropical Measuring

Rainall Mission As an Associate Division Chie or instrument development,

Mr Savinell supervised the Instrument Managers at GSFC In addition to his

work at GSFC, Mr Savinell worked at NASA HQ as the Program Executive or

Gravity Probe-B, Terrestrial Planet Finder, and RadioAstron

Dr. Hans G. Mayr, AIM Project Scientist,Goddard Space Flight Center

Dr Mayr was the project scientist during the denition phase o the

Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED)

mission, launched 5 years ago, whose original scientic objectives included

the study o polar mesospheric clouds Thus he became involved with the

ascinating and challenging scientic questions surrounding these clouds,

which are now being investigated by the Aeronomy o Ice in the Mesosphere

(AIM) mission He was educated in Austria and received a PhD in Physics rom

the University o Graz where he spent a short tenure as a research assistant

Dr Mayr came to Goddard in 965 on a National Research Council ellowshipWith the goal to understand space-born observations, he has been involved

primarily in developing physical models that can describe the atmospheres

o the planets and the Earth In that capacity, he served as interdisciplinary

principal investigator on TIMED and on the Dynamics Explorer mission He

likes to play tennis, dabbles in wiring, plumbing, and car servicing, and he

enjoys listening to and reading about classical music


31/33


James M. Russell III, AIM Principal Investigator,

Hampton University

Dr Russells research has ocused on atmospheric science, remote sensing and

satellite data analysis to study properties and processes in Earths atmosphere He

began his career in electrical engineering at the NASA Langley Research Center inHampton, Virginia developing instrumentation and perorming ground and rocket

reentry tests o heat shield material used on the Gemini and Apollo capsules

Dr Russell also worked on instrumentation or characterizing the Martian

atmosphere during entry He has served as Co-PI on the Nimbus-7 LIMS

experiment to study odd nitrogen eects on the ozone layer and PI or the HALOE

experiment on the UARS satellite to study odd chlorine and odd nitrogen eects

on ozone He currently serves as PI or the SABER experiment on the TIMED

satellite to study the chemistry, dynamics and energetics o the thermosphere

and mesosphere and PI on the AIM mission to study noctilucent clouds

Dr Russell served as head o the Chemistry and Dynamics Branch and the

Theoretical Studies Branch in the NASA Langley Atmospheric Sciences Division

and currently is a Proessor o Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and Co-

Director o the Center or Atmospheric Sciences at Hampton University in

Virginia He received the BSEE degree rom Virginia Tech in 962, the MSEE

degree rom the U o Virginia in 966 and the PhD in Aeronomy rom the U

o Michigan in 970 He is author or co-author o more than 50 papers in the

scientic literature

Dr. Leonard R. McMaster AIM Program Deputy,Hampton University

Dr McMaster received a bachelors degree in physics rom the College o William

and Mary in 967 and a JD in law rom the Marshall Wythe School o Law, College

o William and Mary in 976 He worked at the NASA Langley Research Center

rom 967 to 2004 as a research engineer and manager or numerous space and

atmospheric science programs, and was the Director o all Langley Atmospheric

Sciences Research when he retired in 2004 While at NASA, he received numerous

NASA awards including the Exceptional Service Medal in 986, the Outstanding

Leadership Medal in 2002, and the Presidential Rank, Meritorious Senior Executive

Service award in 200 McMaster has worked at Hampton University since 2004He is the author or co-author o more than 50 publications and presentations, and

holds one patent

In addition to McMasters science management career, he is an attorney and

member o the Virginia Bar Association He is also a licensed, instrument-rated

private pilot, who owns his own plane and enjoys fying in his spare time


32/33

4


Dr. Scott M. Bailey, Deputy PI or AIM,

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Dr Baileys research activities involve studies o the Suns infuence on the

upper atmosphere including the ormation and variability o polar mesospheric

clouds He is actively engaged in sounding rocket and satellite observations oboth the Earth and Sun He served as instrument scientist and later principal-

investigator on the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer satellite He is co-investigator

on the Solar EUV Experiment and EUV Variability Experiment He is deputy-

principal investigator o NASAs Aeronomy o Ice in the Mesosphere mission Dr

Bailey is currently an assistant proessor in the Bradley Department o Electrical

and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech He received his BS in Physics

rom Virginia Tech 990 He received his MS in 994 and his PhD in 995

rom the University o Colorado Beore joining Virginia Tech, he was a aculty

member in the Geophysical Institute and Department o Physics at the University

o Alaska and he was a research assistant proessor o physics in the Center or

Atmospheric Science at Hampton University In his spare time, Dr Bailey enjoysthe outdoors, especially bicycling and canoeing

Mike McGrath, AIM Project Manager,

University o Colorado

Mr McGrath is experienced in systems engineering and management o space-

based instrumentation and spacecrat, with emphasis on NASA science missions

McGraths career has encompassed detailed component design through project

management McGrath has knowledge and amiliarity with instruments and

investigations in X-ray, EUV, UV, Visible and IR wavelengths, and has experienceat all levels o instrument and system design McGrath has been the Engineering

Director at LASP or the past 7 years McGrath is a Proessor Adjunct in the

Aerospace Engineering Sciences department at the University o Colorado

where he teaches the capstone design course in Spacecrat Design, as well as

an introductory class in engineering projects

McGraths outside interests include traveling, dry fy stream shing, building

houses, and listening to fute and guitar music


33/33

www.nasa.gov

aim press kit

Documents