OIP selected to build spectrometer for ESA EnVision mission to Venus
Oudenaarde, Belgium – The European Space Agency (ESA) awarded a contract to OIP to develop and build the VenSpec-H instrument, a high-resolution spectrometer to be embarked on the Envision mission to Venus.
EnVision will determine the nature and current state of geological activity on Venus, and its relationship with the atmosphere, to understand how Venus evolved so differently from Earth and became so uninhabitable. The mission will be conducted together with NASA and its launch is planned for 2031.
The VenSpec-H instrument is one of the spectrometers on-board EnVision and will perform high-resolution light absorption measurements of the Venus atmosphere in the infrared spectral range. The scientific objectives of VenSpec-H are related to the search for water and sulphur-bearing compounds.
OIP will be the industrial prime contractor for VenSpec-H throughout the phases B2/C/D of the program and will manage a consortium of partners from Belgium, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and the Czech Republic. OIP is also responsible for the opto-mechanical design of the instrument, continuing in this role from previous phases A/B1 of the program.
The developments in Belgium are funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) through the ESA PRODEX program. The principal investigator of the instrument is the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BISA).
The VenSpec-H instrument design builds on the extensive experience of OIP in developing high precision spectrometers for atmospheric trace gas measurements, not only for Earth applications, but also for scientific missions to other planets. Examples of such missions are Venus Express, Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter and ALTIUS.
“We are extremely proud to be selected again by the European Space Agency to build an instrument that will contribute to unraveling the mysteries of our solar system,” said Bart Desoete, Business Development Manager at OIP.
Based in Oudenaarde, Belgium, OIP N.V. specializes in the design and development of advanced optical sensor technologies for aerospace, defence and scientific applications. With decades of experience and a commitment to innovation, OIP continues to contribute to cutting-edge projects that shape the future of technology and exploration.
For more information about the EnVision mission, visit: ESA – EnVision factsheet
Contact: public.relations@oip.be
Image credits: ESA/Paris Observatory/VR2Planets & NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS
