Editing Mesosphere (section)

==Exploration==
The mesosphere lies above altitude records for [[aircraft]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=2825|title=Powered Aeroplanes World Records|publisher=[[Fédération Aéronautique Internationale]]|access-date=31 August 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911215233/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=2825|archive-date=11 September 2016}}</ref> while only the lowest few kilometers are accessible to [[balloons]], for which the altitude record is {{convert|53.0|km}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/special/2003/yamagami/03.shtml|title=Research on Balloon to Float over 50&nbsp;km Altitude|publisher=Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, [[JAXA]]|access-date=29 September 2011}}</ref> Meanwhile, the mesosphere is below the minimum altitude for [[Geocentric orbit|orbital]] [[spacecraft]] due to high atmospheric drag.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iadc-online.org/Documents/IADC-2002-01,%20IADC%20Space%20Debris%20Guidelines,%20Revision%201.pdf|title=IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines|publisher=[[Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee]]|date=15 October 2002|access-date=31 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014608/http://www.iadc-online.org/Documents/IADC-2002-01,%20IADC%20Space%20Debris%20Guidelines,%20Revision%201.pdf|archive-date=3 December 2013|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/library/NSS1740_14/nss1740_14-1995.pdf|title=NASA Safety Standard 1740.14, Guidelines and Assessment Procedures for Limiting Orbital Debris|publisher=Office of Safety and Mission Assurance|date=1 August 1995 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215143933/http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/library/NSS1740_14/nss1740_14-1995.pdf |archive-date=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nccur.lib.nccu.edu.tw/handle/140.119/51133<!-- former link: http://www.fai.org/astronautics/100km.asp-->|title=100 km Altitude Boundary for Astronautics|publisher=Fédération Aéronautique Internationale}}</ref> It has only been accessed through the use of [[sounding rocket]]s, which are only capable of taking mesospheric measurements for a few minutes per mission.<ref>{{cite web|date=24 July 2006|url=http://rscience.gsfc.nasa.gov/srrov.html|title=NASA Sounding Rocket Program Overview|work=NASA Sounding Rocket Program|publisher=NASA|access-date=10 October 2006}}</ref> As a result, it is the least-understood part of the atmosphere, resulting in the humorous moniker ''ignorosphere''.<ref>{{cite web|date=1 September 2016|url=https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/reusable-rockets-set-to-explore-the-ignorosphere|title=Reusable Rockets Set to Explore the 'Ignorosphere'|publisher=[[Discover (magazine)|Discover Magazine]]|access-date=2 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-02-06-atmosphere_x.htm|title=Upper atmosphere may hold clues in Columbia mystery|date=6 February 2003}}</ref> The presence of [[red sprite]]s and [[blue jet]]s (electrical discharges or [[lightning]] within the lower mesosphere), [[noctilucent cloud]]s, and density shears within this poorly understood layer are of current scientific interest.

On February 1, 2003, {{OV|102}} [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|broke up on reentry]] at about {{cvt|62|km}} altitude, in the lower mesosphere, killing all seven crew members.