RIIFS, Study of a Rugged Imaging Fourier Spectrometer for planetary applications

Aim of the study has been to implement innovative technical solutions which will allow generating a new class of compact Fourier Transform spectrometers (FTS), both for in situ and orbiter operations. In particular, we wanted to generate an instrument configuration flexible enough to be adapted, with minor modifications, to several planetary scenarios and targets. During the study, we have identified the main constrains in the design and which subsystems must be modified and/or adapted to better investigate the selected planetary target. Functioning in harsh mechanical and thermal environment is nowadays incompatible with FTS commonly associated to vibration free and thermally stable environments, even for ground applications. The implementation of time-based sampling techniques associated to newly developed data processing algorithms and the application of phase-based calibration procedures promise to strongly relax the FTS environmental requirements.