The VenSpec-H instrument onboard EnVision
Résumé
The VenSpec-H instrument is part of the EnVision M5 mission payload, which has been selected by ESA in June 2021 for launch in 2031. EnVision is a medium-class mission [1] to determine the nature and current state of geological activity on Venus, and its relationship with the atmosphere, to understand how Venus and Earth could have evolved so differently. VenSpec-H will target different molecular species in nadir viewing geometry, as to better characterize the surface-atmosphere interaction. VenSpec-H is part of the VenSpec suite [2], including also an IR mapper and a UV spectrometer [3].
The instrument is a nadir pointing, high-resolution infrared spectrometer that will perform observations between 1 and 2.5 microns. This instrument was original developed with direct heritage from NOMAD-LNO [4, 5] /ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. Due to the scientific requirements of the EnVision mission, a series of modifications have been introduced to address the spectral coverage and SNR of the instrument.