The Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment (SOFIE)
flown on the AIM spacecraft performs solar occultation measurements
in eight pairs of spectral bands covering the 0.29 to 5.26 microns
range. The spectral data are used to retrieve vertical profiles of
temperature, O3, H2O, CO2, CH4, NO, and PMC (Polar Mesospheric Clouds)
extinction at 11 wavelengths. Each day SOFIE provides 15 sunset
measurements at latitudes ranging from 65-85 deg S (depending on time
of year) and 15 sunrise measurements at latitudes from 65 - 85 deg N.
SOFIE images the sun with a 2D detector array to obtain pointing
knowledge of the FOV position relative to the sun center to within
plus or minus 0.1 arc second through image edge analysis.

SOFIE was defined and built by the Space Dynamics Lab at Utah State University
and collaborators; it has a heritage in the TIMED/SABER instrument.