The main instrument of the observatory is a 1.7-metre
Ritchey–Chrétien telescope. The telescope will be equipped with the following instruments:
WSO-UV Spectrographs Unit (WUVS) (Russia/Japan) The WUVS spectrographs assembly consists of four channels: • Vacuum Ultraviolet Echelle Spectrograph, VUVES (Russia): The FUV high-resolution spectrograph (VUVES) provides echelle spectroscopy capabilities with high resolution (R ~ 50 000) in the 115–176 nm range. • Ultraviolet Echelle Spectrograph, UVES (Russia): The NUV high-resolution spectrograph (UVES) provides echelle spectroscopy capabilities with R ~ 50 000 in the 174–310 nm range. • Long-Slit Spectrograph, LSS (Russia): The Long-Slit Spectrograph (LSS) provides low resolution (R ~ 1000), long slit spectroscopy in the 115–305 nm range. The spatial resolution is better than 0.5 arcsec(0.1 arcsec as the best value). • UV Spectrograph for observation of Earth-like Exoplanets, UVSPEX (Japan)
WSO-UV Field Camera Unit (FCU) (Russia/Spain) The FCU has two channels, each fed by an independent pick off mirror: • Field Camera Unit FUV channel (FCU/FUV) (Russia/Spain): The far UV (FUV) channel has capabilities for high resolution imaging through the MCP detector, scale 0,047 arcsec/pixel in 115–190 nm range. • Field Camera Unit UVO channel (FCU/UVO) (Russia): The UV-optical (UVO) channel is designed for wide field imaging through the CCD detector, scale 0,146 arcsec/pixel in 185–810 nm range.
Proposed and former instruments • Stellar Coronograph for Exoplanet Direct Imaging, SCEDI (NAOJ, Rikkyo University, Japan). • HIRDES (High-Resolution Double Echelle Spectrograph): R~55000 spectroscopy of point sources in the 102–320 nm range (Germany). Germany exited the Spektr-UV programme due to financial problems, so Russia replaced HIRDES with WUVES. • ISSIS (Imaging and Slitless Spectroscopy Instrument for Surveys) was being developed to carry out UV and optical diffraction limited imaging of astronomical objects. The ISSIS would have incorporated three channels: High Sensitivity Far-UV Channel: 120–200 nm; Channel for Surveys (FUV): 120–600 nm, optimized for 120–270 nm; Channel for Surveys (UVO): 120–600 nm, optimized for 270–600 nm (Spain). Due to financial problems, Spain canceled ISSIS, and limited participation in Spektr-UV program to ground segment and supply of detectors for FCU. Russia replaced ISSIS with FCU. == History ==