Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)
Launched
April 25, 2007 · 20:26 UTC
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
AIM launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on April 25, 2007 at 20:26 UTC. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 53rd launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 4,834th orbital launch attempt. It was the 24th Pegasus XL flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). AIM, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 592 × 607 km orbit inclined 97.8°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Launch of AIM on a pegasus rocketJordan Drolet
- Vehicle
- Pegasus XL · Orbital Sciences Corporation
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 24th Pegasus XL flight · 1st this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 53rd launch2nd this yearhumanity's 4,834th orbital launch attempt17th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
AIM · NORAD 31304 · 2007-015 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2007-015A
- Epoch
- 2007-04-25 21:27:38 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.91828969 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0011074
- Inclination
- 97.7911°
- Ascending node
- 213.9042°
- Arg. of perigee
- 300.845°
- Mean anomaly
- 59.1679°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 1 still in orbit
- AIM · NORAD 31304 · re-entered August 19, 2024
Pegasus F38 Stage 3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere satellite was a NASA Small Explorer that studied polar mesospheric (noctilucent) clouds at the edge of space to understand why they form and how they vary.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
20th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 1st this year · 38th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
393 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did AIM launch?
AIM launched on April 25, 2007 at 20:26 UTC.
Where can I watch AIM?
Coverage: Launch of AIM on a pegasus rocket. Watch the replay
What rocket launched AIM?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did AIM launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did AIM reach?
AIM, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 592 × 607 km orbit inclined 97.8°.
How many satellites did AIM launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).