AWE

Atmospheric Waves Experiment

active Mission
Above Earth, the International Space Station orbits. From one area toward the middle of the station, a transparent cone highlights a rainbow stripe of Earth's atmosphere.

In November 2023, AWE was installed on the exterior of the International Space Station. From its space station perch, AWE is studying colorful bands of light in Earth’s atmosphere, called airglow.

Type

Experiment

Launch

Nov. 9, 2023

Location

International Space Station

Objective

Study airglow

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is attached to the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. From its space station perch, AWE focuses on colorful bands of light in Earth’s atmosphere, called airglow, to determine what combination of forces drive space weather in the upper atmosphere.