The SLICE, CHESS, and SISTINE Ultraviolet Spectrographs: Rocket-borne Instrumentation Supporting Future Astrophysics Missions

TL;DR

This paper describes three ultraviolet spectrograph instruments developed for NASA's suborbital program, demonstrating technological advancements and flight results to support future space astrophysics missions.

Contribution

It introduces the design, development, and flight testing of three ultraviolet spectrographs, advancing technology for future high-capability space observatories.

Findings

SLICE demonstrated new data handling and telemetry techniques.

CHESS and SISTINE achieved high-resolution and high-throughput spectroscopy.

Flight results validated instrument performance and technology readiness.

Abstract

NASA's suborbital program provides an opportunity to conduct unique science experiments above Earth's atmosphere and is a pipeline for the technology and personnel essential to future space astrophysics, heliophysics, and atmospheric science missions. In this paper, we describe three astronomy payloads developed (or in development) by the Ultraviolet Rocket Group at the University of Colorado. These far-ultraviolet (100 - 160 nm) spectrographic instruments are used to study a range of scientific topics, from gas in the interstellar medium (accessing diagnostics of material spanning five orders of magnitude in temperature in a single observation) to the energetic radiation environment of nearby exoplanetary systems. The three instruments, SLICE, CHESS, and SISTINE form a progression of instrument designs and component-level technology maturation. SLICE is a pathfinder instrument for the development of new data handling, storage, and telemetry techniques. CHESS and SISTINE are testbeds for technology and instrument design enabling high-resolution (R > 100,000) point source spectroscopy and high throughput imaging spectroscopy, respectively, in support of future Explorer, Probe, and Flagship-class missions. The CHESS and SISTINE payloads support the development and flight testing of large-format photon-counting detectors and advanced optical coatings: NASA's top two technology priorities for enabling a future flagship observatory (e.g., the LUVOIR Surveyor concept) that offers factors of roughly 50 - 100 gain in ultraviolet spectroscopy capability over the Hubble Space Telescope. We present the design, component level laboratory characterization, and flight results for these instruments.