Orbital AIM User Manual

Page 2

Orbital Sciences Corporation

45101 Warp Drive

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Dulles, Virginia 20166

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www.orbital.com

FS003_03_2998

AIM

Mission Partners

Hampton University Center for Atmospheric
Sciences (Hampton, Virginia)

Principal Investigator: James M. Russell III, Co-Director,
Center for Atmospheric Sciences; Mission and science
team management

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Deputy Principal Investigator: Dr. Scott M. Bailey; Assist
mission and science team management

Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

Mission operations, instrument development and data
analysis

Space Dynamics Laboratory
(Utah State University, Logan, Utah)

Instrument development and data analysis

Orbital Sciences Corporation

Spacecraft bus development; satellite integration and test;
launch vehicle integration and flight operations support;
and Pegasus launch vehicle

GATS Inc (Newport News, Virginia)

Ground data system management and data analysis

George Mason University, Naval Research
Laboratory, St. Cloud State University, British
Antarctic Survey

Science and measurement objectives

Specifications

Spacecraft

Mass:

199 kg (441 lb.)

Solar Arrays:

Fixed, GaAs

Power:

335 W (Orbit Average)

Communications: S-band via NASA’s Space/Ground Network and

TDRSS

Stabilization:

3-axis, zero momentum

Orbit:

600 km, sun-synchronous, 97.8

inclination

Mission Life:

26 months

Status:

Baseline mission complete, currently in extended
mission operations

Launch

Launch Vehicle:

Pegasus

Site:

Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Date:

April 25, 2007

Instruments

Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE)

An eight-channel differential absorption radiometer that will measure the vertical
distribution of PMCs, particle sizes, and the thermal and chemical environment of
the clouds

Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS)

Will image the horizontal distribution of PMCs and the sizes of particles within them

Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE)

Will detect cosmic dust particles entering the atmosphere that possibly lead to
cloud formation

Pegasus Launch Vehicle

Orbital’s Pegasus launch vehicle is an air-launched, internally guided, three-stage
solid rocket capable of launching up to 1,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Pegasus is mated to its L-1011 carrier aircraft and dropped at approximately
40,000 feet. The vehicle free falls for approximately five seconds, with its delta
wing providing lift, before firing its first stage rocket motor. The duration of a typical
flight, from drop to insertion into orbit is a little over ten minutes. Pegasus has
conducted 42 missions, launching 82 satellites from six separate sites worldwide.

Noctilucent cloud image taken over Kustavi, Finland.