SWAS was designed to study the chemical composition, energy balance and structure of interstellar clouds, both galactic and extragalactic, and investigate the processes of stellar and planetary formation. Its sole instrument is a telescope operating in the submillimeter wavelengths of far infrared and microwave radiation.
The Space Watching Activity Satellite (SWAS) was created to analyze the chemical properties, thermal balance, and layout of interstellar clouds, encompassing both galactic and extragalactic systems, with the aim of studying stellar and planetary formation processes. Its sole tool is a telescope functioning in the submillimeter wavelengths of far infrared and microwave radiation.