Researchers are hoping to gain new insights into the early universe by deploying a satellite, CosmoCube, to orbit the Moon. The suitcase-sized satellite will collect data while passing the Moon's far side, searching for a radio frequency signal known as the 21cm line.
This signal, emitted by neutral hydrogen atoms, acts as a 'thermometer' for the early universe, according to Professor Eloy de Lera Acedo, lead author from the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory. The team aims to study events from approximately 380,000 years after the Big Bang, through the cosmic dawn, to about 1 billion years after the Big Bang.
The amplitude and shape of the 21cm signal are also expected to be influenced by dark matter, potentially offering a way to investigate this component of the universe. Previous attempts to detect the 21cm line using Earth-based instruments have faced challenges due to the signal's weakness and interference from human-made technology and the Earth's ionosphere.
The CosmoCube mission, anticipated to last two years, aims to avoid these issues by taking observations from the Moon's far side. The total cost is estimated to be just under £50m, with a projected launch date in approximately five years. The UK Space Agency has already granted over £2m in funding for the project.