The Ultraviolet Spectrograph on ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Mission (JUICE-UVS)
Abstract
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, led by ESA, has an Ultraviolet Spectrograph (JUICE-UVS) contributed by NASA and built at Southwest Research Institute. JUICE-UVS is designed to provide a diversity of measurements to further our understanding of the potential habitability of icy ocean worlds at Jupiter and to study Jupiter and the Jovian system as an archetype for gas giants. JUICE-UVS observes photons in the 50-204 nm wavelength range at moderate spectral and spatial resolution along a 7.5 deg slit composed of 7.3 deg x 0.1 deg and 0.2 deg x 0.2 deg contiguous sections. JUICE-UVS performs a comprehensive study of icy satellite atmospheres, plumes, surfaces, and local space environments; Jupiter's atmosphere and aurora; Io and its Io Plasma Torus; and other Jupiter system targets (rings, small moons, etc.) as available. The variety of observational techniques employed include: nadir push-broom imaging, disk scans, limb stares, stellar and solar occultations, Jupiter transit observations, and neutral cloud/plasma torus stares and scans. This paper describes the UVS investigation's science plans, instrument details, concept of operations, and data formats in the context of the JUICE mission's habitability and Jupiter system goals.
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BibTeX
@misc{retherford2026ultraviolet,
title = {{The Ultraviolet Spectrograph on ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Mission (JUICE-UVS)}},
author = {Kurt D. Retherford and Philippa M. Molyneux and Thomas K. Greathouse and Michael W. Davis and G. Randall Gladstone and Steven C. Persyn and Maarten H. Versteeg and Mary F. Araujo and Fran Bagenal and Tracy M. Becker and Arnaud Beth and Ronald K. Black and Bertrand Bonfond and Shawn M. Brooks and Emma J. Bunce and Alain Carapelle and Steven Cortinas and Gregory J. Dirks and Bryan Esquivel and Paul D. Feldman and Sue Ferrell and Mark Ferris and Leigh N. Fletcher and Matthew A. Freeman and Marina Galand and Rohini S. Giles and Denis Grodent and Vincent Hue and Erica Johnson and Joshua A. Kammer and Cynthia Kempe and Laurent Lamy and Adrian Martin and Melissa A. McGrath and Edward G. Nerney and Carlos Nuñez and Zachary Olsen and Norman Pelletier and Brandon Perez and Kristian B. Persson and Eric Quémerais and Rick Raffanti and Ujjwal Raut and Ryan Rickerson and Lorenz Roth and Oswald H. W. Siegmund and John R. Spencer and Andrew J. Steffl and Bradley J. Trantham and John V. Vallerga and Todd J. Veach and Michael A. Velez and Brandon C. Walther and the JUICE-UVS Team},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.02856},
eprint = {2609.02856},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02856},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Ultraviolet Spectrograph on ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Mission (JUICE-UVS)
AU - Kurt D. Retherford
AU - Philippa M. Molyneux
AU - Thomas K. Greathouse
AU - Michael W. Davis
AU - G. Randall Gladstone
AU - Steven C. Persyn
AU - Maarten H. Versteeg
AU - Mary F. Araujo
AU - Fran Bagenal
AU - Tracy M. Becker
AU - Arnaud Beth
AU - Ronald K. Black
AU - Bertrand Bonfond
AU - Shawn M. Brooks
AU - Emma J. Bunce
AU - Alain Carapelle
AU - Steven Cortinas
AU - Gregory J. Dirks
AU - Bryan Esquivel
AU - Paul D. Feldman
AU - Sue Ferrell
AU - Mark Ferris
AU - Leigh N. Fletcher
AU - Matthew A. Freeman
AU - Marina Galand
AU - Rohini S. Giles
AU - Denis Grodent
AU - Vincent Hue
AU - Erica Johnson
AU - Joshua A. Kammer
AU - Cynthia Kempe
AU - Laurent Lamy
AU - Adrian Martin
AU - Melissa A. McGrath
AU - Edward G. Nerney
AU - Carlos Nuñez
AU - Zachary Olsen
AU - Norman Pelletier
AU - Brandon Perez
AU - Kristian B. Persson
AU - Eric Quémerais
AU - Rick Raffanti
AU - Ujjwal Raut
AU - Ryan Rickerson
AU - Lorenz Roth
AU - Oswald H. W. Siegmund
AU - John R. Spencer
AU - Andrew J. Steffl
AU - Bradley J. Trantham
AU - John V. Vallerga
AU - Todd J. Veach
AU - Michael A. Velez
AU - Brandon C. Walther
AU - the JUICE-UVS Team
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.02856
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02856
AB - The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, led by ESA, has an Ultraviolet Spectrograph (JUICE-UVS) contributed by NASA and built at Southwest Research Institute. JUICE-UVS is designed to provide a diversity of measurements to further our understanding of the potential habitability of icy ocean worlds at Jupiter and to study Jupiter and the Jovian system as an archetype for gas giants. JUICE-UVS observes photons in the 50-204 nm wavelength range at moderate spectral and spatial resolution along a 7.5 deg slit composed of 7.3 deg x 0.1 deg and 0.2 deg x 0.2 deg contiguous sections. JUICE-UVS performs a comprehensive study of icy satellite atmospheres, plumes, surfaces, and local space environments; Jupiter's atmosphere and aurora; Io and its Io Plasma Torus; and other Jupiter system targets (rings, small moons, etc.) as available. The variety of observational techniques employed include: nadir push-broom imaging, disk scans, limb stares, stellar and solar occultations, Jupiter transit observations, and neutral cloud/plasma torus stares and scans. This paper describes the UVS investigation's science plans, instrument details, concept of operations, and data formats in the context of the JUICE mission's habitability and Jupiter system goals.
ER -