No abstract

No abstract

An Acousto-Optical Spectrometer (AOS) features the submillimeter-wave limb-emission sounder (SMILES) to be aboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) of International space station (155). The Japanese space agency (NASDA) has contracted ASTRIUM for the development of the AOS. Acousto-Optical Spectrometers are well adapted for analyzing in real time with high resolution a wide band and faint signal embedded in radiometric noise. Their usefulness for instantaneous detection and mapping of multi-species emission was first demonstrated in the field of radio astronomy in 1970s and thanks to their compactness and low power consumption, they are highly well adapted to space application. Several technical concerns related to important instrumental characteristics of AOS are discussed and performances are overviewed.

Selected technologies for the integration of the TRANSMIT/RECEIVE OPTICS (TRO) are presented. One of the challenging characteristics of the TRO is its stringent requirement on opto-mechanical stability. The stability performance of the TRO must be ensured for the relevant interface environments (thermal, structural) over the 3 years mission lifetime. Comprehensive analyses have been conducted, which have confirmed the need for the development of special integration technologies. Also, dedicated test equipment has been developed to precisely verify the TRO´s optomechanical stability. Another important feature of the TRO is its exposure to the high power laser beam of the ADALIN instrument. The corresponding optical elements and their mounts must survive exposure to light intensities up to the required laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT). Two types of adhesives for gluing of the TRO optics have been selected. Their qualification w.r.t. outgassing was necessary since LIDT´s of optical surfaces are significantly reduced when organic outgassing products are deposited there.