  We propose a method for observing transiting exoplanets with near-infrared
high-resolution spectrometers. We aim to create a robust data analysis method
for recovering atmospheric transmission spectra from transiting exoplanets over
a wide wavelength range in the near infrared. By using an inverse method
approach, combined with stellar models and telluric transmission spectra, the
method recovers the transiting exoplanet's atmospheric transmittance at high
precision over a wide wavelength range. We describe our method and have tested
it by simulating observations. This method is capable of recovering
transmission spectra of high enough accuracy to identify absorption features
from molecules such as O2, CH4, CO2, and H2O. This accuracy is achievable for
Jupiter-size exoplanetsat S/N that can be reached for 8m class telescopes using
high-resolution spectrometers (R>20 000) during a single transit, and for
Earth-size planets and super-Earths transiting late K or M dwarf stars at S/N
reachable during observations of less than 10 transits. We also analyse
potential error sources to show the robustness of the method. Detection and
characterization of atmospheres of both Jupiter-size planets and smaller rocky
planets looks promising using this set-up.
