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Completed TRL 2 (started at 2, targeting 2)
Ultraviolet Spectroscopy is an essential element in the space astronomy portfolio, and the next ultraviolet spectrograph will need to have enhanced performance in sensitivity, resolution, and multi-object capability. Whether part of a flagship, probe, or explorer class mission, the next generation of ultraviolet spectrographs should be able to take advantage of technological improvements in all aspects of their designs. Work is currently ongoing in the areas of optical coatings and detectors, but the diffraction gratings remain at the same state-of-the-art as those currently employed on HST on STIS and COS. To address the limitations of the current state of-the-art, I propose to develop holographically corrected designs utilizing low-order echelle gratings, to demonstrate how future spectrographs could provide the most performance for a future flagship or probe mission. These designs will employ aberration correction in their design (similar to FUSE and COS) to minimize the reflections and enhance their capabilities will providing high efficiency and low scatter. Straw-man holographic designs for HABEX and LUVOIR will be raytraced and published as a proof of concert of what could be achieved. A custom spectrograph design conforming to either a selected decadal UV flagship mission architecture, or a probe architecture, will be developed after the decadal releases the survey results. All work will be published in the proceedings of the SPIE.
The Astrophysics Research and Analysis program (APRA) supports suborbital and suborbital-class investigations, development of detectors and supporting technology, laboratory astrophysics, and limited ground based observing. Basic research proposals in these areas are solicited for investigations that are relevant to NASA's programs in astronomy and astrophysics, including the entire range of photons, gravitational waves, and particle astrophysics. The emphasis of this solicitation is on technologies and investigations that advance NASA astrophysics missions and goals.
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