AWE

NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, is set to launch in December 2023. From its perch aboard the International Space Station 250 miles above Earth, AWE will study atmospheric gravity waves to better understand how they transport energy into Earth’s upper atmosphere and affect space weather.

Gravity waves, also known as buoyancy waves, are a common phenomenon that connect the lower and upper atmospheric regions by transporting heat and momentum upwards. They’re created near Earth’s surface by atmospheric disturbances such as air flowing over mountains and severe weather like thunderstorms and tropical cyclones. These different sources produce gravity waves with very different sizes and speeds that, up until now, have been very difficult to measure comprehensively from space with one instrument.

AWE’s two-year mission will, for the first time, remotely measure a broad range of sizes and speeds of gravity waves as they travel through the atmosphere, 50 miles above Earth’s surface. These measurements will provide new information about the sources of gravity waves, how they travel, and how they vary with the seasons. By better understanding the physics of gravity waves, scientists will better understand – and be better equipped to forecast – key processes affecting atmospheric weather, space weather, and climate.

Measuring the energy that gravity waves transport to the upper atmosphere is critical for understanding how terrestrial weather affects space weather. Space weather is caused when high-energy radiation and particles from the Sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere. Space weather effects can disrupt GPS navigation and radio communications systems, and they also pose a threat to spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The amount of energy transported by gravity waves into the upper atmosphere is an important missing piece of information for understanding space weather effects.

AWE will join NASA’s fleet of heliophysics satellites studying the vast interconnected system that includes the space surrounding Earth and other planets out to the farthest limits of the Sun’s constantly flowing stream of solar wind. AWE will complement NASA’s other upper-atmospheric missions such as the Ionospheric Connection Explorer and the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk, which both study features in the upper atmosphere on larger scales than AWE.

AWE is led by Michael Taylor at Utah State University in Logan, and it is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory is building the AWE instrument and will provide the mission operations center.

By Mara Johnson-Groh
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 

NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) has successfully completed its critical space environment tests. Planned for launch to the International Space Station, AWE will study gravity waves in Earth’s atmosphere to gain a deeper knowledge of the connections caused by climate systems throughout our atmosphere and between the atmosphere and space.

From its unique vantage point on the International Space Station, AWE will look directly down into Earth’s atmosphere to study how gravity waves travel through the upper atmosphere. Data collected by AWE will enable scientists to determine the physics and characteristics of atmospheric gravity waves and how terrestrial weather influences the ionosphere, which can affect communication with satellites.

The AWE mission is focused on understanding gravity waves in Earth’s atmosphere at altitudes between 50 and 500 kilometers, called the ionosphere-thermosphere-mesosphere system. Space weather in this region – the ionosphere in particular – can significantly disrupt space-based communication systems we rely on due to the high concentration of electrically charged particles there. By studying atmospheric gravity waves, scientists will understand more about how Earth’s weather influences upper atmospheric properties.

“AWE is a highly sensitive, precise science instrument designed to be fitted on the International Space Station and operate in the harsh space environment,” said Burt Lamborn, AWE project manager at Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), where the tests were conducted. “To ensure that AWE will survive launch turbulence and operate as designed once in space, SDL put the instrument through its paces on the ground.”

The AWE instrument underwent electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility testing to ensure it does not produce or emit electromagnetic signals that could interfere with other equipment onboard the space station, and to verify that interference from the space station will not impair AWE’s ability to produce data. AWE was also subjected to vibration testing on a shaker table that simulated the predicted launch vibration that AWE will experience. During thermal vacuum testing, AWE experienced a simulated flight environment, including cycling between hot and cold temperature extremes. Engineers performed a full-system calibration to verify that the instrument meets mission requirements and to demonstrate its performance and limitations under operational conditions.

AWE is led by Michael Taylor at Utah State University in Logan, and it is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory is building the AWE instrument and will provide the mission operations center.

NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) will study atmospheric gravity waves to understand the flow of energy through Earth’s upper atmosphere and space. Powerful waves are formed by weather disturbances, such as strong thunderstorms, brewing hurricanes, or winds rushing upward over massive obstacles at Earth’s surface, like the towering Andes Mountains.

AWE will fly on the International Space Station. By using the space station orbit to its advantage, AWE will look directly down on the atmospheric waves, surveying and measuring their properties.

The better we understand the physics and characteristics of these waves, the better we understand – and ultimately, can better forecast – our atmosphere, weather, and climate.

AWE joins NASA’s heliophysics mission fleet, which studies a vast interconnected system from the space surrounding Earth and other planets to the farthest limits of the Sun’s constantly flowing stream of solar wind. AWE will complement NASA’s two other upper atmosphere missions, the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) and Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD). While ICON and GOLD study large-scale features in the upper atmosphere, the gravity waves AWE will study are comparatively small. The result is a comprehensive set of observations dedicated to exploring the relationship between Earth’s atmosphere and the space around us.

AWE is led by Michael Taylor at Utah State University in Logan, and it is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory is building the AWE instrument and will provide the mission operations center.

Prepare to be in awe!

By Matina Douzenis
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.