NASA's AWE Mission Concludes After Studying Earth's Impact on Space Weather
NASA's Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) mission, installed on the International Space Station (ISS) since November 2023, has successfully concluded its data collection phase as of May 21, 2026. The mission focused on studying atmospheric gravity waves—large ripples in the atmosphere caused by weather events like thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. These waves were observed in Earth's airglow, a phenomenon visible in infrared light. Over its 30-month operation, AWE captured over 80 million nighttime images, revealing how terrestrial weather events influence space weather. The data collected has provided unprecedented insights into how atmospheric disturbances propagate into space, affecting satellite operations and communication systems. The mission was managed by NASA's Heliophysics Division and Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory.