The three sections of the SPIRou Cassegrain module are being assembled and tested at IRAP/OMP The SPIRou Cassegrain module is currently being integrated and tested in the P2IS clean room at IRAP / OMP. This module splits into three separate sections: the upper section interfacing SPIRou with the telescope and containing some calibration devices, the […]
The spectrograph cryomechanics is being assembled and tested at NRC-H prior to delivery at IRAP-OMP The spectrograph cryomechanics is currently being integrated and tested at NRC-H in Victoria. The internal support frame was mounted within the cryogenic vessel, and the optical bench was installed on the cold plate and cold bus thanks to which the […]
The fabrication of the SPIRou cross-dispersing prisms by TRIOPTICS is nearing completion The fabrication of several key optical components of the SPIRou spectrograph, namely the twin ZnSe prisms and the Infrasil prism making the SPIRou triple-prism-train cross-disperser, is nearing completion at TRIOPTICS premises in France. The large Infrasil prism was recently completed and the twin […]
This key SPIRou component was delivered on schedule to NRC-H after successful acceptance tests A key SPIRou component, the main cryostat that will contain the cryogenic spectrograph, was delivered on-schedule to the NRC-H team in Victoria, following successful basic acceptance tests carried out at the manufacturer’s place. Given how critical this cryostat is for the […]
New results suggest that SPIRou will boost our understanding of planet formation Although first detected 20 years ago, hot Jupiters are still enigmatic bodies. These celestial objects are giant Jupiter-like exoplanets that orbit 20 times closer to their host stars than the Earth does to the Sun. Using the ESPaDOnS spectro-polarimeter on the 3.6m Canada-France-Hawaii […]
The SPIRou mid-term review, dedicated to the preparation of the integration phases, was successfully held in Toulouse on 2015 June 15-17. Since the successful FDR held in 2014 May, SPIRou has entered the construction phase and is preparing for integration – of the different subsystems in the various participating institutes (IRAP, NRC-H, UdeM, OHP/LAM, ASIAA, […]
The Zerodur blank of the main SPIRou parabolic mirror is being controlled at SESO The cryogenic spectrograph of SPIRou hosts a large double-pass parabolic mirror cut out from a parent with a clear-aperture diameter of 880mm. The parent is to be cut into a rectangular shaped mirror of size 370×732 mm and mounted on a […]
The SPIRou guiding camera was characterized at ASIAA and tested on the sky at CFHT on April 10. The SPIRou guiding camera, a key component of SPIRou, will provide views of the selected sky area and, once coupled to a tip-tilt device, will ensure an improved stability of the field of view. The SPIRou team […]
All main components of SPIRou are currently being manufactured Following the successful Final Design Review (FDR) in 2014 April, SPIRou has entered the manufacturing phase on all sites involved in the construction. More specifically, the spectrograph, polarimeter and fore optics were ordered last fall. This includes in particular a number of critical components among which: […]