Researchers are planning to use the far side of the moon to study the early universe by deploying a suitcase-sized satellite known as CosmoCube, according to details published in Theguardian. The proposed mission would search for a faint radio frequency signal emitted by neutral hydrogen atoms, providing insight into an era that scientists have never directly observed.
Proposed CosmoCube Mission Aims to Probe the Early Universe
The mission focuses on the 21-centimeter line, or H-line, a signal generated more than 13.5 billion years ago during the approximately 150-million-year window between the afterglow of the Big Bang and the emergence of the first stars. By tracking how the signal’s wavelength has been stretched or redshifted over time relative to cosmic microwave background radiation, researchers hope to trace the physical temperature of gas from the cosmic dark ages—roughly 380,000 years after the Big Bang—through the cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization about one billion years after the Big Bang.
Overcoming Earth-Based Interference
Detecting the 21cm line from Earth presents significant challenges. The planet’s ionosphere blocks necessary radio frequencies, while human-made technology such as FM radios, satellites, and telecommunications creates widespread interference.
The far side of the moon is really the only option: It solves multiple problems at once, opening a clear window to the very early universe,
said Prof Eloy de Lera Acedo, the lead author from the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, as reported by Courthouse News.
Once placed into lunar orbit, CosmoCube is designed to unfold a lightweight radio antenna to operate at extremely low frequencies between 10 and 50 megahertz. The satellite would repeatedly calibrate its instruments to distinguish genuine cosmic signals from noise generated by its own electronics. Researchers plan to use statistical methods to remove other interference, including radio emissions from the Milky Way, once data reaches Earth.
Investigating Dark Matter and Cosmic Origins
In addition to acting as a cosmic thermometer, the amplitude and shape of the 21cm signal are expected to offer clues about dark matter. Researchers hope the findings will clarify how dark matter helped pull hydrogen together to form the first stars and galaxies.
This emission from hydrogen after the Big Bang, but before the first stars, will hopefully allow us to understand the role of dark matter in the early universe, how it worked to pull together hydrogen into the first stars and galaxies,
de Lera Acedo said.
Phil Bull, a professor of cosmology at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics who is not involved in the project, noted that the measurements will aid in understanding the primary ingredients of cosmic origins. However, Bull cautioned that CosmoCube is part of a crowded field and faces a potential race against time, warning that other planned lunar missions might introduce human-generated radio noise to the region.
Mission Timeline and Funding
The CosmoCube mission is expected to last two years. The total cost is estimated to be just under £50 million, and the launch date is anticipated to be about five years away. The project has already secured more than £2 million in funding from the UK Space Agency.
