Spicam Instrument

(SPectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars)

Spicam Sensor unit
(IR & UV channels)

Spicam is a two-channel spectrometer:

• Spicam-UV: UV spectrometer (118 - 320 nm) for nadir and limb viewing, and determination of the atmosphere's vertical profile by solar and stellar occultation. This channel enable to quantifies the presence of H₂O, O₃ and aerosols. It also studies the vertical profil of the atmosphere and ionosphere's temperatures.
• Spicam-IR: infrared spectrometer (1.1 - 1.7 µm) for nadir sounding and solar occultation of H₂O.
• DPU (Data Processing Unit): this electronic unit allows the interface of the two channels with the satellite.

Spicam has a specific window for solar occultations, different from the one used for the viewing and the stellar occultations.

The Spicam instrument is the result of a collaboration:

• SA - Service d'Aéronomie (France): instrument prime contractor,
• IASB - Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique (Belgium): mechanic production,
• IKI - Russian Institute of space research (Russia): development of the IR spectrometer (subcontracting).

The charts below summarize the main characteristics of the UV and IR channels:

The main resources required by Spicam are presented below: