The Solar Orbiter SPICE instrument

An extreme UV imaging spectrometer

¹ RAL Space, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
² Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
³ Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
⁴ PMOD/WRC, Dorfstrasse 33, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
⁵ Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1029, Blindern, 0315 Oslo, Norway
⁶ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
⁷ Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, USA
⁸ DAMTP, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
⁹ Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd, San Antonio, TX, USA
¹⁰ Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestraße 2–12, 10587 Berlin, Germany
¹¹ University College London, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
¹² ESR Technology Ltd, 202 Cavendish Place, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6WU, UK
¹³ Division for Extraterrestrial Physics, Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics (IEAP), Christian Albrechts University at Kiel, Leibnizstr. 11, 24118 Kiel, Germany
¹⁴ European Space Agency, ESAC, Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
¹⁵ European Space Agency, ESTEC, PO Box 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
¹⁶ ADNET Systems, Inc., Lanham, MD, USA
¹⁷ CESAM SEED, 52B Bd, Saint-Jacques 75014, Paris
¹⁸ School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Gyeonggi-Do 446-701, Republic of Korea
¹⁹ Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK

Received: 29 March 2019
Accepted: 19 August 2019

Abstract

Aims. The Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument is a high-resolution imaging spectrometer operating at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. In this paper, we present the concept, design, and pre-launch performance of this facility instrument on the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission.

Methods. The goal of this paper is to give prospective users a better understanding of the possible types of observations, the data acquisition, and the sources that contribute to the instrument’s signal.

Results. The paper discusses the science objectives, with a focus on the SPICE-specific aspects, before presenting the instrument’s design, including optical, mechanical, thermal, and electronics aspects. This is followed by a characterisation and calibration of the instrument’s performance. The paper concludes with descriptions of the operations concept and data processing.

Conclusions. The performance measurements of the various instrument parameters meet the requirements derived from the mission’s science objectives. The SPICE instrument is ready to perform measurements that will provide vital contributions to the scientific success of the Solar Orbiter mission.