Phase a/B development of the JUICE ultraviolet spectrograph the european space agency selected the jupiter ICY moons explorer (JUICE) mission as the first mission in its large-class mission…

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center awarded a definitive contract to Southwest Research Institute for Phase A/B development of the JUICE Ultraviolet Spectrograph on June 28, 2013, with a ceiling value of $60.389 million and an ultimate completion date of September 30, 2036.

The contract supports NASA's collaboration with the European Space Agency on the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, selected as the first large-class mission under ESA's Cosmic Vision program. The JUICE-UVS is a stand-alone ultraviolet imaging spectrograph selected under NASA's SALMON-2 Announcement of Opportunity and managed under the NASA New Frontiers Program as part of the U.S. contribution to the ESA JUICE payload. Dr. Randy Gladstone serves as Principal Investigator of the JUICE-UVS team at Southwest Research Institute.

The investigation addresses three primary objectives: exploring the atmospheres, plasma interactions, and surfaces of the Galilean satellites; determining the dynamics, chemistry, and vertical structure of Jupiter's upper atmosphere from equator to pole as a template for giant planets; and investigating the Jupiter-IO connection by quantifying energy and mass flow in the IO atmosphere, neutral clouds, and torus. These goals align with the JUICE Assessment Study Report and NASA's planetary science priorities reflected in the most recent Planetary Decadal Survey, EJSM Study Report, and Science Mission Directorate formal goals.

Work is performed in San Antonio, Texas. The contract employs cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing with no set-aside applied.

Phase a/B development of the JUICE ultraviolet spectrograph the european space agency selected the jupiter ICY moons explorer (JUICE) mission as the first mission in its large-class mission portfolio under the cosmic vision program. The JUICE mission will investigate jupiter and its ICY moons, completing its mission by orbiting ganymede. The mission is planned for launch in 2022. The NASA science mission directorate (SMD) has offered to collaborate in this mission. In 2012, NASA issued program element appendix (PEA) K as an appendix of the second stand alone missions of opportunity notice (SALMON-2)(NNH12ZDA006O-JUICE) announcement of opportunity (AO)(NNH12ZDA006O) for the purpose of soliciting proposals for JUICE mission of opportunity (MO) investigations to be managed under the NASA new frontiers program. The JUICE ultraviolet imaging spectrograph (JUICE-UVS) is a complete, stand-alone instrument proposed and selected under the SALMON-2 AO, to be included in the ESA JUICE payload as part of nasas U.S. Contribution, and developed by the southwest research institute (SWRI) in SAN antonio, TX. The leader of the JUICE-UVS team is the principal investigator (PI), DR. Randy gladstone of SWRI. The goals of the JUICE-UVS investigation are to: 1) explore the atmospheres, plasma interactions, and surfaces of the galilean satellites; 2) determine the dynamics, chemistry, and vertical structure of jupiters upper atmosphere, from equator to pole, as a template for giant planets everywhere; and 3) investigate the jupiter-IO connection by quantifying energy and mass flow in the IO atmosphere, neutral clouds, and torus. These goals are closely aligned to those described in the JUICE assessment study report, and are consistent with NASA goals in the most recent planetary decadal survey, the ejsm study report, and smds formal goals documents.