Overview of scientific objectives in planetary ultraviolet spectroscopic exploration

Planetary ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopic exploration focuses on the atmospheres of celestial bodies, probing their composition, structure, and dynamical processes. As a fundamental payload instrument onboard the spacecraft, the UV spectrograph is designed to acquire atmospheric UV spectra. Its importance stems from its sensitive detection of specific atmospheric constituents, its ability to resolve upper atmospheric structures, and its essential role in investigating atmospheric escape processes and auroral phenomena. This article briefly reviews the history of international planetary UV spectroscopic exploration, summarizes the main scientific objectives achieved to date, and concludes by discussing prospective scientific objectives for China’s future planetary UV spectroscopic exploration.