Study of instrument design options for the Columbus spectroscopy mission

Design work carried out as part of the pre-phase A studies in support of an orbiting COLUMBUS spectroscopy observatory is summarized. Also included are new findings resulting from a reanalysis initiated in response to the following guidelines: (1) The strawman satellite design, which assumed a telescope 6 meters in length followed by a 3-meter spectrograph, resulted in an observatory which was prohibitively costly; (2) Systems which optimize effective area and provide 40 arc second fields are examined; (3) Systems not containing entrance apertures were found undesirable; and (4) The normal incidence Rowland circle design is analyzed. The following instrument design options were analyzed: (1) The 1/2 Meter Telescope Rowland Circle Spectrometer; (2) A 1 Meter Telescope with a Rowland Circle Spectrometer; (3) A New Design Grazing Incidence Telescope with a Berkeley Grazing Incidence Echelle Spectrometer; and (4) A New Design Grazing Incidence Spectroscopic Telescope with Rowland Circle Spectrometer.