Atmospheric waves experiment (AWE) mission overview

B. Lamborn; L. Scherliess; L. Ruley; H. Latvakoski; E. Syrstad; P. Sevilla; Y. Zhao; G. Cantwell; M. Taylor; D. Pautet

doi:10.1117/12.3027141

3 October 2024 Atmospheric waves experiment (AWE) mission overview

B. Lamborn, L. Scherliess, L. Ruley, H. Latvakoski, E. Syrstad, P. Sevilla, Y. Zhao, G. Cantwell, M. Taylor, D. Pautet

Proceedings Volume 13144, Infrared Remote Sensing and Instrumentation XXXII; 131440Q (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3027141
Event: Optical Engineering + Applications, 2024, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) mission is a Heliophysics Small Explorers Mission of Opportunity designed to investigate how terrestrial weather affects space weather, via small-scale atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) produced in Earth’s atmosphere. Following its launch to the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2023, AWE began a 2-year mission to explore the global distribution of AGWs, study the processes controlling their propagation throughout the upper atmosphere, and quantify their impacts on the ionosphere–thermosphere–mesosphere (ITM) system. The AWE science instrument is an ISS–compatible version of the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM)—a wide field-of-view Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) imager that quantifies gravity wave-induced temperature disturbances in the hydroxyl (OH) airglow layer, which lies near the mesopause at ~87 km altitude. The AMTM’s four identical telescopes make continuous nighttime observations of the P₁(2) and P₁(4) emission lines of the OH (3,1) band, as well as the atmospheric background simultaneously, from which the OH layer temperature is derived. AWE images are collected once per second, co-added, and processed into temperature swaths using correction algorithms derived from ground calibration test results. Global coverage of the GWs in the OH layer is achieved about every four days, which will enable regional and seasonal studies, as well as characterization of AGW ‘hot spots.’ This paper will present an overview of the AWE mission, including science objectives, measurement technique, instrument design and development, prelaunch performance and environmental testing, data processing, and a brief look at on-orbit science results.

Citation Download Citation

B. Lamborn, L. Scherliess, L. Ruley, H. Latvakoski, E. Syrstad, P. Sevilla, Y. Zhao, G. Cantwell, M. Taylor, and D. Pautet "Atmospheric waves experiment (AWE) mission overview", Proc. SPIE 13144, Infrared Remote Sensing and Instrumentation XXXII, 131440Q (3 October 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3027141

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
16 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Equipment

Space operations

Atmospheric sciences

Calibration

Data processing

Optical fabrication

Space weather

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years