Why
The Ultraviolet Network of Spanish Astronomy (Red Española de Astronomía Ultravioleta, RUVE) emerge in the framework of the World Space Observatory - Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) mission, that will be launched in 2021.
WSO-UV is a medium-size collaborative space mission with Russia as the main partner and a notable participation of Spain. In 2006, Spain and Russia signed the <<Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Kingdom of Spain on cooperation in the field of exploration and peaceful uses of outer space>>. Since then on, WSO-UV has become the major collaboration between Spain and Russia in Space Science. Scientific operations of the space telescope will be run from two centers located in Moscow and Madrid. Madrid center is in the campus of the Complutense University. Technical test have proven that both centers satisfy the technical requirements for joint operations.
WSO-UV will have guaranteed observing time for a scientific core program that needs to be defined one year before the launch of the satellite.
RUVE’s main goal is to coordinate the action of the main Spanish Research Centers with interest in UV astronomy, particularly the preparatory activities of the scientific program of observations with WSO-UV together with the international partners.
RUVE has to define the national regulations for the Spanish proposals to WSO-UV core program and the preparatory activities needed to create the targets list. It has to guarantee the scientific return of Spain’s investment in the WSO-UV mission. The main benefit of this project is the consolidation of the scientific teams behind the WSO-UV project in Spain. This activity is instrumental to guarantee the proper and optimal implementation of the project in the next few years. In this sense, this project is a scientific action to create the core for UV astronomy and instrumentaion attached to the Spanish participation in the WSO-UV Space Telescope, as well as in future UV missions.
RUVE will assist the Spanish astronomical community to make full profit of the Spanish investment in WSO-UV and play a role in the core program.