The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE): A balloon-borne mission to measure spectroscopic phase curves of transiting hot Jupiters

Rehm, T. D., Altermatt, C., Bernard, L., Bocchieri, A., Butler, N. and Mugnai, Lorenzo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9007-9802 2026. The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE): A balloon-borne mission to measure spectroscopic phase curves of transiting hot Jupiters. Review of Scientific Instruments 97 (7) , 074504. 10.1063/5.0326026

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Abstract

The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE) is a balloon-borne mission dedicated to measuring spectroscopic phase curves of hot Jupiter-type exoplanets. Phase curve measurements can be used to characterize an exoplanet’s longitude-dependent atmospheric composition and energy circulation patterns. EXCITE carries a 0.5 m primary mirror and a moderate resolution diffraction-limited spectrograph with spectral coverage from 0.8 to 3.5 μm. EXCITE is designed to fly from a long-duration balloon. EXCITE will observe through the peak of a target’s spectral energy distribution and through spectral signatures of hydrogen and carbon-containing molecules. In this paper, we present the science goals of EXCITE, detail the as-built instrument, and discuss its performance during a 2024 engineering flight from Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Publisher:	American Institute of Physics
ISSN:	0034-6748
Date of Acceptance:	17 June 2026
Last Modified:	12 Aug 2026 09:32
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/188484

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