NSSDCA ID: 2003-022A-04
Mission Name: Mars ExpressThe Spectroscopic Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars (SPICAM) is designed to study the atmosphere in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) to determine the composition from the light absorbed by the constituent gases. It will probe the atmosphere primarily over altitudes of 20-300 km. SPICAM will measure the ozone and water content of the atmosphere, the coupling of ozone and molecular hydrogen, and vertical profiles of carbon dioxide, ozone, and dust. This data will be used to constrain meteorological and dynamic models of Mars' atmosphere.
SPICAM consists of two parts, SPICAM-UV which will measure in the range of 118-320 nm, and SPICAM-IR, measuring at 1000-1700 nm with a spectral resolution of 0.5 to 1.2 nm. The UV sensor is an intensified photon-counting CCD with three pointing modes, a nadir (directly downward pointing) mode to determine ozone content by measuring absorption at 250 nm of surface-reflected light; an occultation mode using stellar or solar occultations to derive vertical profiles of O3, carbon dioxide, and dust in the atmosphere; and a limb pointing mode to measure the "after-glow" and to monitor UV line emissions from CO2+ and CO+ ions in the dayside ionosphere.
SPICAM-IR is based on a TeO2 Acousto-Optic Tuneable Filter (AOTF) and operates in nadir pointing mode or occultation mode. It will measure water vapor absorption at 1.38 microns with two InGaAs detector diodes cooled to -15 C. It will also measure CO2 quantity in the 1430 and 1570-1600 bands. SPICAM will build up measurements of carbon dioxide, ozone and water vapor in the atmosphere for the different seasons. The SPICAM instument is derived from the Russian Mars-96 mission.
Mass: 4.7 kg
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Dr. David R. Williams
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Franck Montmessin | Principal Investigator | Laboratoire Atmospheres, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) | franck.montmessin@latmos.ipsl.fr |