I-Multi-Angle Imager ye-Aerosols (IMIA) wumsebenzi ohlanganyelwe weNASA kanye ne-Italian Space Agency Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). Lo mkhankaso uzofunda ukuthi ukungcola okusemoyeni kuyithinta kanjani impilo yabantu. I-MAIA iphawula okokuqala ngqa ukuthi izazi zezifo eziwumshayabhuqe kanye nabasebenzi bezempilo yomphakathi bebambe iqhaza ekuthuthukisweni komsebenzi wesathelayithi weNASA wokuthuthukisa impilo yomphakathi.

Ngaphambi kokuphela kuka-2024, kuzokwethulwa indawo yokubuka i-MAIA. Ukwakheka kuqukethe ithuluzi lesayensi elakhiwe yi-NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory eSouthern California kanye nesathelayithi ye-ASI ebizwa ngokuthi i-PLATiNO-2. Idatha eqoqwe kusuka kuzinzwa zaphansi, amamodeli we-observatory kanye nomkhathi izohlaziywa ngumgomo. Imiphumela izoqhathaniswa nedatha yokuzalwa, ukulaliswa esibhedlela nokufa kwabantu. Lokhu kuzosikhanyisela ngemiphumela yezempilo engaba khona yokungcola okuqinile noketshezi emoyeni esiwuphefumulayo.

Ama-aerosols, okuyizinhlayiya ezihamba emoyeni, axhunywe ezinkingeni eziningi zempilo. Lokhu kubandakanya umdlavuza wamaphaphu kanye nezifo zokuphefumula ezifana nesifo senhliziyo, isifuba somoya kanye nesifo sohlangothi. Ukwengeza, kunemiphumela emibi yokuzala kanye neyokubeletha, ikakhulukazi ukuzalwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi kanye nezinsana zokuzalwa ezinesisindo esiphansi. NgokukaDavid Diner, osebenza njengomphenyi oyinhloko kwa-MAIA, ubuthi bezingxube ezihlukahlukene zezinhlayiya abukaqondwa kahle. Ngakho-ke, lo msebenzi uzosisiza siqonde ukuthi ukungcoliswa kwezinhlayiyana ezisemoyeni kubangela kanjani usongo empilweni yethu.

Ikhamera ye-spectropolarimetric ekhonjiwe iyithuluzi lesayensi le-observatory. I-spectrum ye-electromagnetic ikuvumela ukuthi uthathe izithombe zedijithali kusuka emazingeni ahlukene. Lokhu kufaka phakathi izindawo eziseduze ne-infrared, ebonakalayo, i-ultraviolet, ne-shortwave infrared. Ngokutadisha amaphethini nokusabalala kwezinkinga zempilo ezihlobene nekhwalithi yomoya ephansi, ithimba lesayensi ye-MAIA lizothola ukuqonda okungcono. Lokhu kuzokwenziwa kusetshenziswa le datha ukuhlaziya usayizi nokusatshalaliswa kwendawo yezinhlayiya ezihamba emoyeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, bazohlaziya ukwakheka nobuningi bezinhlayiya ezihamba emoyeni.

Emlandweni omude wokubambisana phakathi kwe-NASA ne-ASI, i-MAIA imele isiqongo salokho i-NASA kanye nezinhlangano ze-ASI okufanele zinikeze. Lokhu kubandakanya ukuqonda, ubungcweti kanye nobuchwepheshe bokubuka umhlaba. UFrancesco Longo, inhloko ye-ASI's Earth Observation and Operations Division, ugcizelele ukuthi isayensi yalo msebenzi ohlangene izosiza abantu isikhathi eside.

Isivumelwano, esasayinwa ngoJanuwari 2023, siqhubekisele phambili ubudlelwano obude phakathi kwe-ASI neNASA. Lokhu kubandakanya ukwethulwa kwemishini yeCassini eya kuSaturn ngo-1997. I-Italian CubeSat engasindi ye-ASI ye-Imaging Asteroids (LICIACube) ibiyingxenye ebalulekile yomkhankaso we-NASA ka-2022 DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) . Yathwalwa njengempahla eyengeziwe emkhathini we-Orion phakathi nomsebenzi ka-Artemis I.