Middle and near ultraviolet spectrograph of the Scientific Experimental system in Near SpacE (SENSE)

Abstract

The Scientific Experimental system in Near SpacE (SENSE) consists of different types of instruments that will be installed on a balloon-based platform to characterize near-space environmental parameters. As one of the main scientific payloads, the middle and near ultraviolet spectrograph (MN-UVS) will provide full spectra coverage from middle ultraviolet (MUV, 200 nm-300 nm) to near ultraviolet (NUV, 300 nm-400 nm) with a spectral resolution of 2 nm. Its primary mission is to acquire data regarding the UV radiation background of the upper atmosphere. The MN-UVS is made up of six primary components: a fore-optical module, an imaging grating module, a UV intensified focal plane module, a titanium alloy frame, a spectrometer control module, and a data processing module. This paper presents in detail the engineering design of each functional unit of the MN-UVS, as well as the instrument’s radiometric calibration, wavelength calibration, impact test, and low-pressure discharge test. Furthermore, we are able to report ground test and flight test results of high quality, showing that the MN-UVS has a promising future in upcoming near-space applications.