After 16 years studying Earth's highest clouds for the benefit of humanity—polar mesospheric clouds—from its orbit some 350 miles above the ground, NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, or AIM, mission has come to an end.

Initially slated for a two-year mission, AIM was extended numerous times due to its high science return. While AIM has faced hurdles over the years—from software hiccups to hardware issues—an incredibly dedicated team kept the spacecraft running for much longer than anyone could have anticipated.

On March 13, 2023, the spacecraft's battery failed following several years of declining performance.

On October 19th, 2017, astronomers with the Pann-STARRS survey observed an interstellar object passing through our system—1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua. This was the first time an ISO was detected, confirming that such objects pass through the solar system regularly, as astronomers predicted decades prior. Just two years later, a second object was detected, the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov. Given 'Oumuamua's unusual nature (still a source of controversy) and the information ISOs could reveal about distant star systems, astronomers are keen to get a closer look at future visitors.

For instance, multiple proposals have been made for interceptor spacecraft that could catch up with future ISOs, study them, and even conduct a sample return (like the ESA's Comet Interceptor).