April 16, 2023
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM), a spacecraft that studied unique clouds, is retiring after over a decade due to a battery failure. The AIM mission was launched to research night-shining clouds that can last for centuries in the upper atmosphere of the Earth. Though the batteries of the spacecraft began to deteriorate in 2019, the mission was still able to send a large amount of data to Earth, but a further deterioration of batteries made the spacecraft unresponsive. The AIM mission, which was launched by NASA in 2007, enhanced scientists’ understanding of the effects of climate change on night-shining clouds.
Did You Know?
Over 250 robotic spacecraft have been sent to space since space exploration began in 1958.
Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere | Image Source: nasa.gov
