BackForwardInstrument:  SPICE 

Instrument details
Acronym SPICE
Full name Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment
Purpose To perform extreme ultraviolet imaging spectroscopy of the solar disc and low corona, in order to highlight the various dynamics of the sun to better understand the effects on Earth and the Solar System
Short description The instrument consists of a single element off-axis parabolic telescope and a toroidal variable line spaced (TVLS) grating spectrograph with two intensified Active Pixels Sensor (APS) detectors. The covered wavelength ranges are 702-792 Å (Band 1), 972-1050 Å (Band 2) and 485-525 Å (2nd order), representing the full range of temperatures and heights in the solar atmosphere, from the chromosphere to the flaring corona.
Background New development
Scanning Technique Observation from a solar orbit. Detector arrays
Resolution Changing with the distance from the Sun. 750 km at perihelion
Coverage / Cycle Full solar disk at 10 s intervals
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency ESA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2020 to 2030
Last update: 2021-12-16
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Solar activity monitor
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • Solar magnetograph, solar EUV/X-ray imagery and EUV/X-ray irradiance, both on the Earth-Sun line and off the Earth-Sun line
  • Solar EUV spectrometer [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Solar EUV imager [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Solar coronagraph and heliospheric imagery both on the Earth-Sun line and off the Earth-Sun line (e.g. L5 point)
  • Solar coronographic imager [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
  • Subcomponent 3
  • Solar coronal magnetic field imagery, solar wind beyond L1
  • Solar coronal magnetic field imager [from solar orbit, ecliptic, L5]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • Solar EUV flux spectrum
  • Solar EUV image
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
Solar EUV flux spectrum*4 - fairNo specific limitation.Coarse spectral resolution, moderate dynamic range, solar disc and corona view included
Solar EUV image*1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Spectrometry with high spatial resolution, corona view included
Solar coronagraphic image3 - highNo specific limitation.EUV (10-121.6 nm), observed with occultation