HIRDES - The High-Resolution Double-Echelle Spectrograph for the World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO/UV)

TL;DR

The paper details the design, technical concepts, and development activities of HIRDES, a high-resolution double-echelle spectrograph for the WSO/UV space observatory, emphasizing performance, design choices, and testing approaches.

Contribution

It introduces the HIRDES instrument's design and development, highlighting its high spectral resolution capabilities and integration within the WSO/UV mission based on heritage from previous missions.

Findings

Successful design trade-offs for mechanical and material choices.

Performance verification through critical functional and environmental tests.

Integration of HIRDES with other WSO/UV instruments.

Abstract

The World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO/UV) is a multi-national project grown out of the needs of the astronomical community to have future access to the UV range. WSO/UV consists of a single UV telescope with a primary mirror of 1.7m diameter feeding the UV spectrometer and UV imagers. The spectrometer comprises three different spectrographs, two high-resolution echelle spectrographs (the High-Resolution Double-Echelle Spectrograph, HIRDES) and a low-dispersion long-slit instrument. Within HIRDES the 102-310nm spectral band is split to feed two echelle spectrographs covering the UV range 174-310nm and the vacuum-UV range 102-176nm with high spectral resolution (R>50,000). The technical concept is based on the heritage of two previous ORFEUS SPAS missions. The phase-B1 development activities are described in this paper considering performance aspects, design drivers, related trade-offs (mechanical concepts, material selection etc.) and a critical functional and environmental test verification approach. The current state of other WSO/UV scientific instruments (imagers) is also described.