ISS-SOLAR: Total (TSI) and spectral (SSI) irradiance measurements Original Research Article

The primary objective of the ISS-SOLAR mission on Columbus (to be launched in 2006) is the quasi-continuous measurement of the solar irradiance variability with highest possible accuracy. For this reason the total spectral range will be recorded simultaneously from 3000 to 17 nm by three sets of instruments: SOVIM is combining two types of absolute radiometers and three-channel filter radiometers. SOLSPEC is composed of three double monochromators using concave gratings, covering the wavelength range from 3000 to 180 nm. SOL-ACES has four grazing incidence planar grating spectrometers plus two three-signal ionization chambers (two signals from a two stage chamber plus a third signal from a silicon diode at the end of the chamber) with exchangeable band pass filters to determine the absolute fluxes from 220 to 17 nm repeatedly during the mission. For the TSI the relative standard uncertainty (RSU) to be achieved is of the order of 0.15% and for the SSI from 1% in the IR/Vis, 2% in the UV, 5% in the FUV up to 10% in the XUV spectral regions. The general requirements for the TSI and SSI measurements and their conceptual realization within this payload will be discussed with emphasis on instrumental realization and calibration aspects.