  In this proceeding, we describe the scientific motivation and technical
development of the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph
(CHESS), focusing on the hardware advancements and testing supporting the
second flight of the payload (CHESS-2). CHESS is a far ultraviolet (FUV)
rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions
within translucent cloud regions in the interstellar medium (ISM). CHESS is an
objective f/12.4 echelle spectrograph with resolving power $>$ 100,000 over the
band pass 1000 $-$ 1600 {\AA}. The spectrograph was designed to employ an R2
echelle grating with "low" line density. We compare the FUV performance of
experimental echelle etching processes (lithographically by LightSmyth, Inc.
and etching via electron-beam technology by JPL Microdevices Laboratory) with
traditional, mechanically-ruled gratings (Bach Research, Inc. and Richardson
Gratings). The cross-dispersing grating, developed and ruled by Horiba
Jobin-Yvon, is a holographically-ruled, "low" line density, powered optic with
a toroidal surface curvature. Both gratings were coated with aluminum and
lithium fluoride (Al+LiF) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Results from
final efficiency and reflectivity measurements for the optical components of
CHESS-2 are presented. CHESS-2 utilizes a 40mm-diameter cross-strip anode
readout microchannel plate (MCP) detector fabricated by Sensor Sciences, Inc.,
to achieve high spatial resolution with high count rate capabilities (global
rates $>$ 1 MHz). We present pre-flight laboratory spectra and calibration
results. CHESS-2 launched on 21 February 2016 aboard NASA/CU sounding rocket
mission 36.297 UG. We observed the intervening ISM material along the sightline
to $\epsilon$ Per and present initial characterization of the column densities,
temperature, and kinematics of atomic and molecular species in the observation.
