Atmospheric
Waves
Experiment
AWE will provide the first global characterization of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) that originate in Earth’s lower atmosphere and affect space weather.
![An artistic rendering of AWE positioned on the International Space Station and scanning a swath of Earth.](/_ipx/_/images/homepage/iss-using-awe.png)
![A black and white image of Earth from space.](/_ipx/s_200x200/images/homepage/what-is-awe-img.png)
What is AWE?
AWE is a space-based mission designed to provide the first-ever global characterization of small-scale AGWs at the edge of space.
Explore the Mission![An infrared image of Earth from space.](/_ipx/s_200x200/images/homepage/how-does-awe-work-img.png)
How does AWE work?
AWE uses a set of four infrared telescopes to image AGWs as they penetrate Earth’s upper atmospheric boundary.
Check out the Payload![A pixelated image of Earth from space.](/_ipx/s_200x200/images/homepage/why-is-awe-important-img.png)
Why is AWE important?
AWE will improve our understanding of the AGWs that affect navigation, tracking, and communication systems.
Discover AWE ScienceIn the News
Participating Organizations
![NASA logo.](/_ipx/h_50/images/logos/nasa.png)
![Utah State University logo.](/_ipx/h_100/images/logos/usu.png)
![Space Dynamics Laboratory logo.](/_ipx/h_50/images/logos/sdl.png)
![U.S. Naval Research Laboratory logo.](/_ipx/h_100/images/logos/nrl.png)
![National Center For Atmospheric Research logo.](/_ipx/h_100/images/logos/ncar-extended.png)
![Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University logo.](/_ipx/h_100/images/logos/embry-riddle.png)
![University of Colorado Boulder logo.](/_ipx/h_100/images/logos/uc-boulder.png)
![GATS logo.](/_ipx/h_100/images/logos/gats.png)