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Venspec-H unveiled
VenSpec is a suite of spectrometers designed for the European Space Agency’s EnVision mission to Venus, set to launch in November 2031. It includes three spectrometers: VenSpec-M, VenSpec-U, and VenSpec-H. VenSpec-H, the high-resolution spectrometer, operates in the near-infrared range of 1.15 to 2.5 μm. Its primary goal is to map the near-surface atmosphere at night…
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Our ISSI team comes to an end (updated 29.10).
The International Space Science Institute (ISSI), in Bern (Switzerland), partially funds international teams to carry out a research project that need complementary scientific expertise. Teams are set up in competitive response to an Annual Call by ISSI. If selected, the research is carried out during a period 18 to 24 months during which the team…
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Testing how comets work.
Authors, led by Nicholas Attree in the SCITECHSS group at IAA – CSIC, and at the Technische Universiät Braunschweig (Germany) have published a new paper on thermophysical modelling of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Comets are among the most primordial objects in the Solar System and their study therefore gives direct insights into the era of planet formation.…
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Scitechss Team Visits Huld in Finland.
This past week (17/18 sept.), part of our team traveled to Finland to visit the facilities of Huld, the company responsible for developing the Application Software (ASW) that coordinates the ENVISS and OPIC instruments on ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission. The primary goal of this visit was the successful delivery of the Elegant BreadBoard 2 (EBB2)…
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Stunning images from JANUS
JANUS, the optical camera of ESA’s JUICE probe, captured stunning images of the Earth and the Moon during its first lunar and terrestrial flyby. This high-risk maneuver, successfully completed between 19 and 20 August, allowed JUICE to alter its speed and direction for an fly-by near Venus in August 2025. This critical step is part…
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It snows more on Mars than expected.
Just like Earth, Mars experiences four seasons throughout the year due to the tilt of its rotational axis. During Martian autumn and winter, temperatures in its polar regions can drop below the freezing point of carbon dioxide (around -125°C), which constitutes 95% of Mars’ atmosphere by volume. This carbon dioxide can deposit on the surface…
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Hello! Welcome to the SCITECHSS group website!
The Science and Technology for Solar System Exploration Group (SCITECHSS) is a research and development team dedicated to advancing our understanding of the solar system. It comprises experts in various scientific and engineering disciplines. Our main goals are the development of innovative technologies and methodologies to explore bodies of our solar system, and to analyze…